Wydad's relentless shenanigans in Morocco play havoc with Sundowns' preparations

Wydad Casablanca’s gamesmanship and shenanigans ahead of their second leg of their Caf Champions League quarterfinal against Mamelodi Sundowns have seen Downs officials driving around Rabat for days looking for a training pitch.
Sundowns have a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Atteridgeville on Sunday.

The Brazilians are based in Morocco’s capital Rabat‚ 90 kilometres from Casablanca‚ where they meet Wydad in Saturday’s second leg at the 67 000-seat Stade Mohamed V.

Defending champions Sundowns’ communications coordinator Thulani Thuswa told SowetanLIVE from Rabat that Downs have been led a merry dance by Wydad finding a training pitch.

“They have been messing around‚” Thuswa said on Thursday

“They didn’t provide us with a training pitch and we had to look for one ourselves. Yesterday (on Wednesday) we drove all around Rabat the whole day looking for a pitch.

“Eventually we found one – at the Stade du FUS‚ which is the old pitch that used to be used by FUS Rabat.

“On our first day here (Tuesday) we didn’t train.

"We had even told Wydad that if they could not provide us a pitch we had an option to train at the old FUS Rabat pitch‚ but they said‚ ‘No‚ no‚ you can’t because the lights don’t work there’.

“Then we went to train there yesterday and the lights worked fine.

“Our advance party even arrived two days before the team‚ and in that time they could also not find a pitch available.

“But we believe that Morocco does not have a very good relationship with SA. Apparently it stems back to SA winning the right to host the 2010 World Cup. And also‚ gamesmanship is a big thing here.

“The bus they gave us was sh*t – it was a grey old stinky



"So we’ve got another one at our own expense.”

The suspicion has been that Wydad have called grounds around Rabat asking them not to avail themselves for Sundowns.

“The official reason the Moroccans have given us is that the national team has not been doing well because of poor pitches‚ and that they need to preserve all the pitches for the national team‚” Thuswa said.

“The thing is‚ when they came to SA‚ we treated them really well.

"We gave them police escorts‚ we had (Sundowns official) Alex Shakoane and drivers stationed permanently with them to attend to their needs.

“Here we have had no police escorts.

"We have this guy who drives our van with our kit in‚ Ashraf‚ and he’s the one who shows us where to go.”

Thuswa said the gamesmanship could have the opposite effect intended by Wydad‚ and anger and motivate Sundowns’ players.

“I believe so‚ because I have seen that in all the countries that treat us like this‚ we come out victorious.

“The players are not affected at all.

"When we can’t find a pitch they go and do match analysis‚ and there’s a gym and a pool at the hotel so people use their time constructively.”

Downs’ plan is to beat Wydad‚ and then‚ with their tickets and visas already booked and arranged‚ travel straight to Algeria for the first leg of their semifinal on the last weekend of this month‚ expected to be against USM Alger.

The Algerians drew 1-1 away against Mozambique’s Ferroviario Beira in the first leg of their quarter.