Chabab Mohammédia Edges Past Wydad Fès, Deepening Early-Season Contrasts in Botola 2
On a crisp October afternoon at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, the fortunes of two Botola 2 clubs continued to diverge. Chabab Mohammédia, a club intent on storming the promotion race, carved out a gritty 1-0 victory over a beleaguered Wydad Fès side that now finds itself anchored near the foot of the table after three matches.
For the hosts, the match was a chance to right a listing ship. One point from their opening three fixtures had already cast early doubts over their campaign. But, as the final whistle pierced the Fès air, it was resignation, not redemption, that blanketed the stands. Wydad Fès, despite flashes of attacking ambition, left the pitch empty-handed—still searching for their first win, now mired in 15th with just a solitary draw to show for their labors.
Chabab Mohammédia’s traveling support had more reason for optimism, their team offering a display equal parts industry and opportunism. On a surface slick with anticipation but pocked with uncertainty, both sides jabbed cautiously in the opening half hour. The hosts threatened, pressing high, drawing hopeful shouts from the crowd each time the ball fizzed into the penalty area, but the finishing touch proved elusive.
The contest’s lone breakthrough arrived as a product of both patience and precision. In the 57th minute, a quick exchange along the left flank saw Chabab Mohammédia’s midfield orchestrate a neat passage of play. The ball found its way into the box, where a decisive strike—low, hard, and clinical—swept past the stranded goalkeeper. The visitors wheeled away in celebration, their jubilation matched by the groans of stunned Wydad Fès defenders. The scorer’s identity, lost amid a blur of red and white shirts, mattered little to the traveling congregation; the precious goal was all that counted.
For Wydad Fès, the response was spirited but chaotic. Forced to chase the game, they pressed numbers forward, leaving themselves open to the counter. Twice in the final twenty minutes, Chabab Mohammédia nearly doubled their advantage—a looping header veered just wide, and a late breakaway was smothered by the onrushing Fès keeper.
But resilience, not ruthlessness, defined Mohammédia’s closing act. They sat deeper, absorbing growing pressure. The home side’s clearest chance came in the dying minutes, a skidding shot that beat the keeper but not the upright, thudding off the post and bouncing away to safety. The visitors’ discipline held, the final whistle sealing a second straight clean sheet and, more importantly, three points that push them to fifth in the table—snapping at the heels of the early frontrunners.
This result, set against the backdrop of recent form, felt almost inevitable. Wydad Fès’s winless run stretches to four in the league, their attack stale and their defense leaky since opening day—a narrow loss at Riadi Salmi was followed by a high-scoring home defeat to Widad Témara, and now a second straight 0-1 reverse. Their lone bright spot remains a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Chabab Atl. Khenifra, but optimism is in short supply.
Chabab Mohammédia, by contrast, continue to look the part of a promotion contender. Unbeaten through three, with two wins and a draw, the club’s formula—tight defense, opportunistic attack—has proven effective. Their last outing, a 1-0 home win over Chabab Ben Guerir, mirrors the discipline on display in Fès. The early table, while still sorting itself out, offers promise: 7 points from 9, fifth place, and a sense of upward momentum.
Head-to-head, the fixture has rarely been one-sided, though recent meetings in league and cup have tended to favor Mohammédia’s clinical edge. While no cards marred today's contest, the intensity and urgency—especially from the home bench—spoke volumes about the mounting pressure in Fès’s camp.
With the league campaign barely underway, the stakes already feel heightened. Wydad Fès faces an urgent need to rediscover attacking verve or risk being cast adrift from the survival pack. Next week’s fixtures will take on the atmosphere of must-win occasions for them. Chabab Mohammédia, meanwhile, savor a start that inspires belief but also demands consistency; the margins for error in this division are razor-thin, as today’s cagey affair so ably illustrated.
For both sides, the season’s story is far from written. But on this October afternoon, Chabab Mohammédia found the words—and the goal—that matter most.