Wydad Casablanca of Morocco will Saturday face DR Congo’s TP Mazembe in the 2018 CAF Super Cup tie at Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco.
Hosts Wydad will be gunning for a maiden glory in the competition contested between winners of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, while Mazembe will be fighting for a fourth crown.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be used for the first time on African soil during the game after failed takeoff during the Morocco CHAN 2018.
Confederations Cup holders Mazembe will be keen to reclaim the Super Cup title they lost to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in 2017 after bagging the 2016 edition.
Wydad, who are the reigning African Champions, on the other hand will be hoping for victory to erase sad memories of losing it twice before.
The record 19-times Morocco’s Botola Champions lost the 1993 edition 5-3 on penalty to African Sports in Abidjan before going down 3-1 to Zamalek SC in the 2003 contest in Cairo.
Two Morocco sides have won the cup namely Maghreb Fez and Raja Casablanca and Wydad will be hoping to be the third.
Wydad will go into the much hyped tie against a backdrop of a shaky home run. Despite replacing their Champions League winning coach Hussein Amotta with Faouzi Benzarti following a poor domestic spell, things are not looking any better now.
In six outings, the Red Devils have only managed two wins and suffered three consecutive losses and a barren draw.
They are currently ninth on the Botola standings on 22 points – 11 points off leaders Ittihad Tanger and are unlikely to defend their crown.
DR Congo heavyweights Mazembe on the other hand are bullish in the Linafoot’s Central Zone’s league and are currently top on 40 points after 17 fixtures.
The coach Pamphile Mihayo’s charges have won four of their last six matches – losing once and drawing the other.
Morocco FA has announced that the Super Cup is sold out. An electric atmosphere is thus expected at the 67,000 capacity Mohammed V Stadium – regarded as the theatre of Moroccan football.
Mezembe’s Deogratias Kanda, who played for Wydad’s bitter rivals Raja between 2013 and 2014 believes the Ravens are a big side and will not be intimidated by the home fans.
“The TPM is a big continental club used to this kind of pressure, my teammates are not afraid and will make sure our supporters and all lovers of African football are very happy with the show,” the winger said.
Super Cup winner will pocket a healthy $100,000 with the runners up taking home $75,000.
