Location | Casablanca, Morocco |
---|---|
Teams | Raja CA Wydad AC |
First meeting | Raja 1–0 Wydad 1956–57 Botola (10 February 1957) |
Latest meeting | Raja 1-0 Wydad 2023–24 Botola (2 June 2024) |
Next meeting | TBD |
Stadiums | Stade Mohammed V |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 154 |
Most wins | Raja CA (46) |
Largest victory | Raja 5–1 Wydad 1995–96 Moroccan Throne Cup (18 February 1996) |
The Casablanca Derby (Arabic: ديربي الدارالبيضاء) is the football match in Morocco between Casablanca rivals Raja Club Athletic and Wydad Athletic Club. Traditionally played in the Stade Mohamed V, it is considered as one of the fiercest derbies in the world.[1][2]
Since the beginning of Botola, the two teams have never been relegated and have always played each other every season whether in the league or in Throne Cup. They faced each other outside of national competitions once, during the 2019 Arab Cup of Champion Clubs. This duel is accentuated by a social dimension; Wydad is closer to the bourgeoisie class, while Raja is more popular since it has always been associated to the Moroccan trade union from which many of its founders and presidents belong.[3] However, these ideological differences have faded over time and supporters of the two clubs now come from different social backgrounds.
The post 1980s period is marked by a rivalry in performance and prestige. It intensified even more over in the 2000s with the emergence of ultras groups. The Casablanca Derby is considered to be the football pinnacle in the Kingdom, due to its number of matches which exceeded the 150 in 2022, making it the most played confrontation in Moroccan football history, and the enthusiasm of the supporters who attach particular importance to it since it represents the opposition of the most popular and successful clubs in Morocco.[4]
The top scorer in the history of the Casablanca Derby is Said Ghandi with 7 goals, followed by Mohsine Moutouali and Mouhcine Iajour with six goals each.