Round 17 of the First Professional League: Surprising Upsets and Thrilling Matches
The 17th round of the First Professional League has unfolded with thrilling events and unexpected results that have kept football fans on the edge of their seats. Notably, Wydad Athletic Club suffered a surprising home defeat against Union of Yacoub Mansour, while Fes took a commanding win over Hassania Agadir, solidifying their position at the top of the league table.
In the iconic Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Wydad faced a shocking 2-1 loss to their visitors, Union of Yacoub Mansour. The home team initially took the lead in the 10th minute with a goal from defender Salah Moussadek. However, the visitors turned the tables in the second half, with Zakaria Fati equalizing in the 63rd minute. Shortly after, a catastrophic own goal from Amin Abu Al-Fath in the 69th minute sealed Wydad's fate, leaving them empty-handed despite late-game attempts to salvage a result. This defeat has intensified the pressure on the team and its management, with fans expressing outrage over the handling of the club by president Hicham Ait Mena. They have called for urgent solutions to address the team's ongoing crisis, especially given that there have been no wins under the leadership of coach Patrice Carteron.
With this victory, Union of Yacoub Mansour climbed to the 15th position in the standings with 11 points, while Wydad remains in fourth place with 31 points, complicating their quest for a top position in the league.
Meanwhile, in Fes, the home team, Morocco Fes, continued their impressive run by thrashing Hassania Agadir with a stunning score of 4-0. The goals came from Achraf Harmach in the 31st minute and a brace from Soufiane Benjdida in the 71st and 76th minutes, followed by a final goal from substitute Hamza Afssal in the 78th minute. This performance not only highlighted Benjdida's remarkable 16 goals, leading the top scorers' chart, but also reinforced Fes's dominance at the top of the league with 37 points. On the other hand, Hassania remains stagnant at 16 points, sitting in the 11th position.
In another match, Ittihad Tangier recorded their first victory under new coach Abdelhak Benchikha, defeating Olympic Safi 2-1 in a thrilling encounter settled in stoppage time. The goals for Tangier were scored by Baba Gaye in the 90+7 minute and Karim Lghrouch in the 90+9 minute, while Younes Najari netted the lone goal for the hosts in the 45+1 minute. This victory propelled Ittihad Tangier to ninth place with 17 points, while Olympic Safi remains in 14th place with 12 points, continuing their struggles at the bottom of the table.
Additionally, Fath Sport regained their balance after a heavy defeat in the previous round, managing a narrow 1-0 win against Najm Meknes, with the only goal coming from Abdessamad Maher in the dying moments of the match (90+5 minutes), earning them three precious points. Following this win, Fath Sport now has 21 points, placing them in eighth position, while Najm Meknes remains at 26 points in sixth place.
As reported by alittihad.info.
