Frenchman Patrice Carteron, coach of Wydad, acknowledged that Fath Rabat deserved to win the match between the two sides on Friday evening at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium, in a postponed fixture from the tenth round of the ‘Inwi’ Professional League.
Carteron said at the post-match press conference that the defeat was “deserved”, noting that the match had been difficult from start to finish, given the complex circumstances the Red team has been facing recently.
The Frenchman explained: “For days now, we have been working with the coaching staff to find quick solutions to restore balance to the team following our elimination from the Confederation Cup, which had a significant psychological impact on the players. We tried to put together a line-up capable of holding firm, but there wasn’t enough time to turn things around.”
He added: “We didn’t create many chances, and we lacked organisation for most of the match. Even the training sessions weren’t completed, as half the players were unable to finish them due to exhaustion. The team is suffering physically and mentally, but I’m not here to make excuses for the defeat, but rather to find quick solutions ahead of the next match.”
Fath Rabat secured a 1-0 victory, with Lamine Diakité scoring in the 62nd minute, following a goalless first half despite attempts from both sides.
The match also saw Hakim Ziyech forced off injured, adding to Wydad’s woes.
Carteron attempted to make attacking changes in the second half to restore balance, but his efforts failed to alter the score, resulting in a defeat in his first official match with the Red team.
With this result, Wydad remain on 29 points in third place, whilst Al-Fath Al-Riyadi moved up to eighth place with 18 points, a victory that strengthens their position in the table and increases the pressure on Carteron at the start of his tenure with Wydad.