Cassius Mailula’s late goal saved Rulani Mokwena from a third straight defeat as Wydad Athletic Club secured a 1-0 victory against FUS Rabat in the Moroccan league on Sunday.
Mailula was a second half substitute, coming in in the 45th minute, and proved decisive late on when it appeared the match would end goalless.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns attacker picked the ball inside the box before turning to fire a low cross into the back of the net for his first goal in Morocco.
Mailula helped ease pressure on Rulani Mokwena
Crucially, the goal secured maximum points for his team which saw them end a run of two straight defeats that had seen Wydad fans turn on Mokwena last weekend.
The Moroccan giants have now moved to fifth on the table with 14 points from nine matches, six behind leaders RS Berkane.
Meanwhile, another South African attacker also scored his first goal in North Africa when Elias Mokwana netted for Esperance in their 2-0 win over Etoile du Sahel on Sunday.
Mokwana, who joined the Tunisian giants from Sekhukhune United, has struggled to get a start at his new club but used his opportunity well.
How did Mokwana score his first Esperance goal?
The scores remained goalless at halftime before Etoile gifted Esperance a goal when Zied Boughattas scored an own goal in the 63rd minute and they looked to be headed for a 1-0 win before Mokwana’s determination made the points safe two minutes from time.
Mokwana positioned himself between two defenders before receiving an aerial ball which he controlled well before firing directly at the goalkeeper. The ball fell back to him and he did well to beat his markers before finding the target for his team’s second and his first in Esperance colours.
Victory saw Esperance end their four-match winless run in the league to move to sixth on the table on 12 points, five behind leaders Olympique de Beja after nine games.
