Wydad Faces Setback as FAR Rabat Hijacks Karmoun Transfer

Wydad’s summer, already weighed down by legal battles and a transfer ban, has taken another hit. This time, the blow came from the pitch – and from a direct domestic rival.

FAR Rabat step in and flip the script

Wydad thought they had done the hard work on Ferji Karmoun.

The Casablanca giants moved early, secured the defender’s approval and reached an understanding with his club, Olympic Safi. In a market where reliable defenders are at a premium, it looked like smart, decisive business.

Then FAR Rabat walked through the door.

Needing to rebuild a back line stripped of Yunis Abdelhamid and Nouh El Abd, the military club went aggressively after Karmoun. They didn’t just join the race; they changed it. A bigger financial offer landed on Olympic Safi’s table, and the deal that once seemed close for Wydad simply fell apart.

According to Moroccan outlet “Sport7”, Olympic Safi responded by raising their demands and making the situation brutally clear: Karmoun will go to the club that pays the most. Sentiment out, numbers in.

For Wydad, it’s not just a missed signing. It’s a reminder of how vulnerable they look in this window.

Five FIFA rulings, one transfer ban

Off the field, the problems run deeper than a single failed transfer.

FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber has issued another ruling against Wydad in a case involving a former foreign player. It’s not an isolated incident. It’s the fifth final ruling now stacked against the club.

Each one carries a cost. Together, they lock Wydad in a bind: until these cases are settled in full, the club cannot lift its transfer ban or register new signings. For a team trying to refresh its squad and keep pace with domestic rivals, that is a brutal handicap.

The new president, Brahim El Assri, has walked into a storm.

He inherited a club littered with legal and financial landmines from the previous administration under Hicham Ait Menna. According to “Sport7”, Wydad must now resolve five FIFA files and more than seven additional cases before the National Disputes Committee.

Each file is a story of unpaid dues, contested contracts, and players pushing for unilateral termination. Each delay risks more damage to the club’s planning and reputation.

The clock is ticking. The season is not waiting.

Holding on to what they have: Benabid talks

In this climate, retaining key assets becomes almost as important as signing new ones.

At the top of that list sits goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid.

Wydad have opened advanced talks with the shot-stopper, determined to convince him to renew and stay at the club. Moroccan outlet “Le360 Sport” reports that Wydad rushed to clear all of Benabid’s outstanding financial dues before putting a new contract offer on the table.

The message is obvious: where past administrations allowed problems to fester, the current leadership is trying to show a different face, at least with its core players.

Benabid will make his final decision in the coming days. His choice will say a lot about how the dressing room views the new era under El Assri – and about how convincing Wydad’s project still looks from the inside.

A race against time

El Assri is juggling a loaded in-tray: five FIFA rulings, more than seven domestic disputes, a transfer ban that blocks reinforcement, and now the loss of a priority defensive target to FAR Rabat.

Every unresolved case limits his room to manoeuvre. Every day without clarity hands rivals another small advantage.

The question hanging over Casablanca is no longer just who Wydad can sign this summer. It’s sharper than that: can the club untangle its legal and financial mess quickly enough to compete at the level its supporters demand?