{"id":460701,"date":"2011-07-14T16:28:15","date_gmt":"2011-07-14T16:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/07\/14\/team-profile-raja-casablanca\/"},"modified":"2011-07-14T16:28:15","modified_gmt":"2011-07-14T16:28:15","slug":"team-profile-raja-casablanca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/14\/team-profile-raja-casablanca\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Profile: Raja Casablanca"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

14 July 2011<\/p>\n

Raja Casablanca are three-time CAF Champions League winners, but the 2011 competition represents their first foray into the group stage in six years. The reigning Moroccan champions will fancy their chances in a wide open Group A that also features Enyimba<\/a>, Al Hilal<\/a> and Coton Sport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

State of the team<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the 2010\/11 Moroccan GNF 1 champions, Raja Casablanca are a team in very good shape. They finished seven points clear of second-placed Maghreb Fes and managed to win an impressive 18 of their 30 matches in what is generally considered a very competitive league.<\/p>\n

They boasted the best attack (45 goals scored) and equal third best defence (23 goals conceded).<\/p>\n

In the preliminary stages of the CAF Champions League, they racked up an incredible 10-1 win over Chad minnows Tourbillon before squeezing past Stade Malien (on the away goals rule) and ASEC Mimosas (on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a one-legged playoff).<\/p>\n

The tough ties against Malien and ASEC should ensure that Raja are battle-hardened and well aware of the difficult task lying ahead of them in Group A.<\/p>\n

Strengths<\/strong><\/p>\n

Raja\u2019s attack promises to be one of the most potent of the teams left in the competition.<\/p>\n

They were easily the highest scorers in their domestic league and their 10-1 dismantling of Tourbillon in the first preliminary round underlined their potency in attack.<\/p>\n

The Green Eagles also have a strong winning mentality. Their championship success on the domestic front is prime evidence of this; as is the way in which they scored a late equaliser in their last preliminary match against ASEC and went on to win the penalty shootout to advance to the group stage.<\/p>\n

Weaknesses<\/strong><\/p>\n

The big question mark regarding Raja is how they will react to new coach Ilie Balaci (see below).<\/p>\n

Mohamed Fakhir was the man who guided the Greens to their league success and he clearly had a strong bond with his players, but he lost patience with political interference from the upper reaches of the club and left. Balaci has previous experience of working in Casablanca, but that was the better part of two decades ago.<\/p>\n

If he is unable to establish a good working relationship with his playing staff \u2013 and quickly \u2013 then Raja may find themselves in trouble.<\/p>\n

The coach<\/strong><\/p>\n

Romanian Ilie Balaci became Raja Casablanca\u2019s coach in July 2011, taking over from Mohamed Fakhir.<\/p>\n

The 54-year-old is entering his second spell as a manager in North African football. He coached Tunisia\u2019s Club Africain between 1990 and 1992 and then spent the next two years at Olympique Casablanca in Morocco.<\/p>\n

From 1994 onwards he has moved between jobs in Romania and the Middle East, coaching several different sides from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.<\/p>\n

He inherits a team that is in very good shape and as a result will be under immediate pressure to produce good results, particularly in the CAF Champions League.<\/p>\n

Squad<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goalkeepers:<\/strong> Yassine El Had, Younes Ataba, Tarik El Jarmouni<\/p>\n

Defenders:<\/strong> Elamine Erbate, Hicham Mahdoufi, Mohamed Oulhaj, Rachid Soulaimani, Souleymane Demba, Ismail Belmaalam<\/p>\n

Midfielders:<\/strong> Mohsine Moutouali, Lancine Kone, Bilal Danguir, Abdessamad Ouhakki, Nabil Masloub, Hassan Alas, Abdelmoula Berrabeh, Kouko Guehi, Mamadou Baila Traore<\/p>\n

Forwards:<\/strong> Hassan Souari, Hassan Tir, Bouchaib El Moubarki, Yassine Salhi, Hicham Aboucherouane<\/p>\n

Click here for player profiles<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fixtures<\/strong><\/p>\n

16\/07\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Raja Casablanca v Coton Sport
29\/07\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Al Hilal v Raja Casablanca
14\/08\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Enyimba v Raja Casablanca
26\/08\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Raja Casablanca v Enyimba
10\/09\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Coton Sport v Raja Casablanca
18\/09\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Raja Casablanca v Al Hilal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

More:
\nTeam Profile: Raja Casablanca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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