Former Mamelodi Sundowns talisman Cassius Mailula continued his stellar form for Rulani Mokwena’s Wydad Athletic Club in their hard-fought 2-1 win over Moghreb Tetouan in the Botola Pro League on Saturday.

Dutch winger Mohamed Rayhi, who joined the club in the off-season, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute before completing his brace in the 29th minute to take his tally to six goals in the league.

The hosts pulled one back in the 56th minute through defender Mohamed Rahim but it was not enough to turn things around as the Red Castle was able to hold on to a much-needed morale-boosting victory on the road.

Mailula, on loan from Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC, set up the second goal for Rayhi to impressively make it five assists in his last five Moroccan top-flight division appearances. 

Overall, he has contributed to six goals in 18 outings across all competitions.

For Mokwena, the result will be a huge relief as it snaps a three-game winless run in the league for his side and moves them up to fifth place on the standings with 27 points accumulated after 17 matches played.

The 22-time Moroccan champions Wydad, who are desperate for a return to the CAF Champions League, are 12 points behind runaway leaders RS Berkane who have a game in hand. They are just three points shy of second place and two adrift of the Confederations Cup spot.

Mokwena was reportedly under immense pressure after his side was thrashed 4-1 in their last match of 2024, with the trigger-happy hierarchy desperate to be in a much better place ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup in June.

In a global tournament, Wydad was pitted in Group G against English Premier League champions Manchester City, Italian giants Juventus, and UAE powerhouse Al Ain in the new-look 32-team tournament that will run from 15 June to 13 July 2025.