Cassius Mailula starts as Rulani Mokwena records first win at Wydad AC

The South African tactician saw his new team get on the winning side in the cup match

Rulani Mokwena notched his first win as Wydad Athletic coach after his side secured a 2-0 victory over JSM in the Excellence Cup on Tuesday.

The match saw South African forward Cassius Mailula handed a place in the starting XI and Wydad went into the break leading 1-0 after Zemraoui Oussama scored a stunning goal.

The midfielder picked the ball in midfield, went past two of his markers, before firing an unstoppable shot into the top right corner on his left foot in the 43^rd minute.

Wydad AC bounced back from Friday’s league defeat

Wydad’s second goal also arrived very late in the match but it was worth the wait. Coming from the right wing, Nassim Chadli cut inside on his left foot, beat his marker before unleashing a powerful shot on his left foot, to secure the result for Mokwena’s side.

It was the response the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns coach was looking for in the cup match after opening the season with a 1-0 loss to Maghreb de Fes (MAS Fes) in the Botola Pro League last Friday.

The Excellence Cup is a new competition introduced this season, contested by clubs in the first and second divisions in Morocco, and it is only played during the FIFA international break.

Will the win lead to a successful season for Mokwena?

It is aimed at integrating players (U23) into the first team squad as well as supervise talented players likely to be called up to the national Olympic and youth teams.

The competition also facilitates a gradual recovery after the summer and winter breaks and during FIFA dates, the increase in the annual number of matches and the maintenance of the competition rhythm during the Botola break periods.

Mokwena signed over 10 players ahead of the new season and the competition also gives him a chance to test some of them who have not been called up to their respective national teams.