Raja Casablanca draw, Hassania Agadir win as Morocco’s top football league resumes
Two games were played late on Monday and early on Tuesday in Morocco as the country’s top-tier football league, the Botola Pro 1, resumed after more than four months of suspension due to disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raja Casablanca drew 0-0 away to Difaa El Jadidi in the first game while Hassania Agadir claimed a 1-0 win at home against Raja Beni Mellal.
Tanzanian striker Simon Msuva missed a first half penalty for Difaa who finished the game against Raja Casablanca with 10 men after Abdelfettah Hadraf was sent off for two bookable offences. Despite boasting a man advantage for the last 13 minutes, Raja failed to capitalize on it and shared a point with the hosts.
The result left Raja, last year’s runners-up in sixth place on 29 points, seven behind leaders Wydad Athletic. Raja (16) has, however, played two games fewer than Wydad who hold a one-point lead over FUS Rabat (20 games played).
In the other game, CAF Confederation Cup semifinalists Hassania Agadir edged bottom-of-the-table Raja Beni Mellal thanks to a Mehdi Oubila strike in the 57th minute.
The visitors just shaded ball possession (49 percent to 51 percent) but were unable to trouble the hosts as they failed to muster an attempt of any kind. Agadir, meanwhile, kept the visitors busy forcing their goalkeeper into four saves from their five attempts on goal.
Agadir’s win sees them remain 14th but up to 20 points, five clear of second-from-bottom IR Tanger, while Beni Mellal remains rooted to the bottom on eight points.
