CAF CL - Wydad vs Esperance: a tale of two champions
All eyes will be focused on the Moroccan capital Rabat this weekend when giants Wydad Athletic Club host their Tunisian counterparts Esperance de Tunis, as the 2018/19 Total CAF Champions League reaches the ultimate stage. The first leg of the final is scheduled for Friday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, with the return and decisive fixture set for seven days later at Rades Olympic Stadium, near Tunis.
Reaching the final after lifting the trophy in the last two seasons (2017 for Wydad, 2018 for Esperance) proves yet again both sides’ domination in the premier club continental competition. While Wydad are chasing their third trophy (their first came in 1992), Esperance who already had achieved that last year (after 1994 and 2011) are looking to join the list that includes Egyptian giants Al Ahly, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe and Nigeria’s Enyimba, who successfully defended their title in back to back seasons.
It will be the fourth CAF Champions League final for Wydad. Besides their previous victories, they finished as runner ups in 2011 to no one but Esperance. On the other hand the “Blood and Gold” as the Tunisian giants are fondly known among their supporters are having their eighth final in the history of Africa’s premier club competition. Esperance were losing finalists four times - 1999, 2000, 2010 and 2012.
On their way to the final, Wydad started the campaign with a hardy fought win over Senegal’s AS Jaaraf when they needed the away goal rule to reach the group stage after a 3-3 aggregate result. They topped Group A with 10 points from six games, overcoming South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Nigeria’s Lobi Stars and Cote d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas. At the quarterfinals, Wydad had a convincing 5-0 aggregate win over Guinea’s Horoya before overcoming Sundowns once again 1-0 on aggregate to reach their second final in three seasons.
Esperance received a bye to the group stage, where they topped Group B collecting 14 points against Horoya, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and Zimbabwe’s Platinum. They completed the double over neighbours CS Constantine of Algeria to beat them 6-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. And on their way to the final they had to see off DR Congo giants TP Mazembe after a hard fought 1-0 aggregate victory to continue their title defending campaign.
The Wydad coach is a man who knows their opponents well. Experienced Tunisian tactician Faouzi Benzarti was previous coach for Esperance in no less than four different spells, and he was the manager when Esperance won their first Champions League title in 1994. On the other hand Moine Chaabani is having his second season with the Blood and Gold side after he led them to the title last season despite being initially appointed as a caretaker manager.
The aggregate winner will pocket 2.5 million US dollars and a place in the 2019 CAF Super Cup.