Wydad Faces Challenges as FAR Rabat Hijacks Karmoun Deal

Wydad’s summer, already heavy with legal battles and financial strain, has taken another hit. On the pitch, they have just watched a key defensive target slip from their grasp. Off it, FIFA has tightened the screws.

FAR Rabat strike as Wydad hesitate

For weeks, Wydad believed they had done the hard part with Ferji Karmoun.

The Casablanca giants moved early, reached an agreement with the defender, and secured a green light from his club, Olympic Safi. With their backline in need of reinforcement, it looked like a smart, decisive move in a difficult window.

Then FAR Rabat walked into the room.

Determined to rebuild a defence stripped by the departures of Yunis Abdelhamid and Nouh El Abd, the military club entered the race this summer and immediately changed the tone of the negotiations. They didn’t talk. They bid.

FAR Rabat put a financial offer on the table that eclipsed Wydad’s proposal. The impact was instant. What had seemed a near-complete move to the red club suddenly stalled, then collapsed.

According to Moroccan outlet “Sport7”, Olympic Safi reacted to the new dynamic by raising their demands. With two heavyweights circling, Safi made their stance clear: Karmoun will go to whoever pays the most. No sentiment, no nostalgia, just numbers.

For Wydad, it was another reminder of their shrinking room for manoeuvre in a market where rivals sense weakness.

FIFA rulings tighten the noose

The pressure is not just coming from domestic rivals.

FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber has issued a new ruling against Wydad in a case involving one of the club’s former foreign players. It is not an isolated incident. This latest decision takes the tally of final FIFA rulings against Wydad to five.

Each one carries a cost. Collectively, they now threaten the club’s ability to register new signings before the coming season.

To lift the transfer ban, Wydad’s hierarchy must settle these cases in full. No partial fixes, no delays. Pay, or sit out the market.

Club president Brahim El Assri has been forced into crisis-management mode. Since taking over, he has faced a backlog of disputes inherited from the previous administration under Hicham Ait Menna, a legacy of unpaid dues and unresolved contracts that have spilled into FIFA and national bodies.

“Sport7” reports that Wydad now have five files to close with FIFA, plus more than seven others before the National Disputes Committee. Each case is a drain on time, money, and focus at the exact moment the club should be shaping its squad.

Fight to keep Benabid

Amid the chaos, Wydad cannot afford to lose what they already have.

One of the biggest internal battles centres on goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid. While transfer bans and legal files dominate the headlines, El Assri and his team are working behind the scenes to lock down one of their key players before the new campaign kicks off.

According to Moroccan website “Le360 Sport”, Wydad have opened advanced negotiations with Benabid over a contract renewal. Crucially, the club first moved to settle all of his outstanding financial dues, a necessary step to rebuild trust and show good faith.

Only then did they place a new offer in front of him.

Benabid now holds the cards. The report states he will make his final decision in the coming days, a call that could shape Wydad’s short-term stability between the posts.

For El Assri, it is another urgent file on an already crowded desk. Players have turned to the disputes committee either to claim unpaid money or to push for unilateral termination of their contracts. Each complaint risks weakening the squad further or forcing the club into expensive settlements.

The clock is ticking. Wydad must untangle a web of old debts, close the FIFA and national disputes, fend off rivals like FAR Rabat in the market, and convince their best players to stay.

The new season is coming fast. The question is no longer just who Wydad can sign—but what kind of club they will be when the first whistle blows.