ACL: Morocco's Wydad Casablanca misses title

In the second year in a row, Morocco's Wydad Casablanca missed the Arab Champions League title following their 2-1 aggregate defeat before Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis.

   Trailing 0-1 in the first leg game, the Reds started at top speed to achieve the balance. Their quest was about to be lost when the referee awarded a penalty to the Tunisians at the 17th minute. Wydad's keeper, Nader lamyaghri, intervened twice to push the danger away.

   After the break, the Reds cemented their ranks and assaulted the Tunisian defense. Their attempts paid off at the 66th minute, when midfielder Rafik Abdessamad successfully converted a penalty to boost hopes for extra time.

   One minute before the final whistle, the referee awarded another penalty to the Tunisian side. Oussama Derraji converted the penalty to seal the destiny of the game.

   It is the second consecutive defeat for Wydad in an Arab Champions League final. Last year, the Moroccans lost 2-0 to the hands of Algerian side Wifaq es-Setif.

MAP