Wydad Athletic Club coach Rulani Mokwena has been expressing his desire to play against Pep Guardiola who is his role model.
The South African's wish was granted after his team was grouped with Manchester City in the recently concluded 2025 Fifa Club World Cup draw. The Botola Pro League outfit were placed in Group G with Manchester City, Italian heavyweights Juventus and Al Ain.
The two top teams will make the Round of 16 while the bottom two will be eliminated from the global competition.
“What an incredible evening. A memorable event for the biggest football spectacle and what an incredibly historic moment for the club,” Mokwena reacted.
“Great opportunity to play against three great opponents with some of the best players and best coaches in the world. Al Ain are no easy match either, have some players who’ve played for Teams in Morocco, so they will know our team really well. But we are optimistic and hope to keep working on getting better and stronger. The biggest win is the Wydad that will emerge after the Club World Cup after such a great experience.”
Why did Mokwena want to play against Guardiola?
“[I wanted to play against Manchester City] because of Pep Guardiola, for sure,” Mokwena told Wydad Casablanca's media.
“But I think it’s a good test for us. We try to create a model of play that is a bit similar to how Manchester City plays. So, I think we will have a very good match, we have a very good squad, we have to believe in ourselves and be strong.
“This is a great opportunity, and that’s how we have to look at it – a great opportunity to put Wydad on the map in the world,” he concluded.
Mokwena will now have to work on his team's consistency after initial struggles.
