Dejected Ramzi pleads sorry after Wydad stunned by Galaxy
A frustrated Adel Ramzi offered apologies after Wydad Casablanca crashed to a 1-0 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League defeat at home to Jwaneng Galaxy on Saturday night.
The Botswana side sent shockwaves across the continent after edging the Moroccan giants with the historic away win in the Group B encounter in Casablanca.
Galaxy, who are only making their second appearance in the group stages of the biggest club competition on the continent, not only go top of the group but did it in historic fashion.
It was Galaxy's first ever victory in the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
A costly mistake in the 33rd minute saw Galaxy forward Thabang Sesinyi punishing last season’s runners up with the only goal that silenced the crowd and subsequently recorded one of the biggest upsets of the competition in recent history.
The Wydad coach felt his players paid the price for not recovering from finshing second at the recent African Football League.
“I will admit to you that I am frustrated and upset, and I say I am sorry. I feel that the team’s players have still not recovered from the disappointment of the African League so far, and they no longer have the same hunger as before," lamented Ramzi post-match.
He acknowledged his team's display was sub-par but also promised to address the situation internally ahead of upcoming key clashes.
"We made a mistake for which we paid heavily. We lost because the performance was not as it should have been," stated Ramzi.
The manner of Wydad's loss evidently shocked Ramzi as the Moroccans wasted chances either side of Galaxy's first-half match-winner from Seninyi.
It leaves Wydad bottom of Group B and needing to quickly bounce back from this reality check when they meet ASEC Mimosa next weekend.
But restoring battered morale and focus constitutes Ramzi's most pressing challenge following this humbling setback on home soil.
"Losing will bring the players back to reality, and will impose on us a kind of humility, and that we have not accomplished anything major yet. I am not satisfied, but not for everyone, and I will address the issue internally with the players in order to find out what happened.
“Morale is at rock bottom, but time is not enough for us because we have strong matches waiting for us: the League Clasico and the ASEC match, and I will look to see who is mentally prepared for these matches," outlined a despondent Ramzi.
For now, Wydad's head coach could only convey his sorrow and promise improvements after Saturday's rude awakening.