Targeted Wydad Casablanca coach Rulani Mokwena has sent a strong warning to their Botola Pro League rivals as his team is on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league following a goalless draw with log leaders RS Berkane on Friday.

The Red Castle remains in second place with 41 points amassed but trail runaway leaders with 15 points after 23 matches played. With seven games to go, Wydad remains in strong contention for a CAF Champions League return after missing out on continental football altogether this term.

Mokwena, who has been entrusted with the huge task of resurrecting the sleeping Moroccan giant, says he is aware of the expectations of the club and called for patience and belief in the project to return glory days to the red side of Casablanca.

“I always tell the players that history has no blank pages, history knows what was happening in the past. I was asked to come to this club – and I must tell you I think it’s the best club in Africa and it’s a great privilege to be here,” said the Wydad mentor.

“But if you see where we finished last season, at number six, we lost all our players, [Yahya] Jabrane, Attiyat [Allah], [Abdellah] Haimoud, I can tell you these players because as Sundowns coach I played against this Wydad team.

“And I know the expectations. The level of Wydad is to win every game, to win Botola, to win the Throne Cup and to win the Champions League. So, I know that I know the expectations of this very big club.

He continued: “But when you have a patient in ICU and the patient resuscitates and gets healthy and walks out of the hospital, he doesn’t go to work the next day. There’s a process of rehabilitation and you have to go step by step.”

The 38-year-old gaffer went on to fire a bullish warning shot to rivals, asserting that the 22-time Moroccan champions will be a stronger force to be reckoned with next season, highlighting the significant improvements the side has made under his tutelage.

“And where we are, I think the board knows, the president knows, we share the same feelings, the players know because to start with 25/26 new players, new technical team, a new board and be second ahead of teams like our rivals [Raja Casablanca] who won Botola unbeaten last season [says a lot],” Mokwena added.

“We are second ahead of teams who had the same team for three or four years. Berkane, for example, had the same coach last year and they have the same team – we are only starting this season, and if you put it into context, last season Wydad made 44 points.

“Already we have 41 points and that means we are close to having a better season. The number of wins, the number of goals scored, already we scored more goals than we scored last season. So, I expect that this team will be much stronger next season.”

The South African tactician concluded: “We are happy to be where we are, we know we can do better, and we will do better inshallah, but our team is learning and improving, and we will get better. The vision for Wydad and [Hicham] Ait Menna is to have better facilities than all the clubs in Morocco.”