Raja Casablanca

Full name	Raja Club Athletic نادي الرجاء الرياضي
Nickname(s)	Raja Mundial (Raja of the world) The People's Team Green Eagles Green Evils L'khadra (The green)
Short name	RCA, Raja
Founded	20 March 1949 (1949-03-20)
Ground	Stade Mohamed V Casablanca, Morocco
Capacity	70 000
President	Jawad Ziat
Head coach	Juan Carlos Garrido
League	Botola
2017–18	6th
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Raja Club Athletic (RCA) (Arabic: نادي الرجاء الرياضي‎; transliterated: nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍi) is a sports club with sections in many different disciplines in Casablanca, Morocco. Raja was founded in 20 March 1949 as part of the political struggle against French rule by nationalists who aimed to create a focus for working-class young Moroccans. The club is most well known outside Morocco for its football team.

In Morocco, Raja Casablanca is still regarded as the club of the people. For many years it had a reputation of playing entertaining football without winning many trophies. However Raja has evolved recently into a more professional outfit capable of winning trophies at home and abroad. Since 1949, Raja CA has been crowned domestic champions on eleven occasions, and has never been relegated to the Second Division.

On the continental side, Raja has won more CAF trophies than any other Moroccan team. The club has 3 CAF Champions League, 1 CAF Super Cup titles and 1 CAF Cup title. Raja Casablanca placed third in 2000 in CAF's ranking of African clubs of the last century, finishing behind the Egyptian teams Al Ahly and Zamalek.^[1][2] The club was listed as one of the most valuable football clubs in Africa and one of the most widely supported teams in the continent and the first in its country.

Internationally, Raja has also won 1 Afro-Asian Cup title. Raja Casablanca is the first Moroccan and African club to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup. They competed in the first edition that took place in 2000 in Brazil. Raja Casablanca became the second club to reach the FIFA Club World final as the representative of CAF, after TP Mazembe,^[3] as well as the host nation's national champions, after Brazilian club Corinthians, and the first under the current seven-club format since the 2007 edition, as they defeated Atlético Mineiro at the semi-final of 2013 FIFA Club World Cup.^[4]

History

1959–1960 season controversy

Raja in 1956–1957

The final standings of the 1959 season showed that 3 teams were tied for first in terms of total points: Raja Casablanca, AS FAR and KAC Kénitra. Undoubtedly, the best goal difference was that of Raja Casablanca, which should have granted them the win. However, a triangular tournament was imposed and Raja refused to take part in protest against the fact that they did in fact have the better goal difference, and therefore, logically and legally, the title should be awarded to them. Due to their protest, KAC Kenitra was pronounced the winner after their match against FAR Rabat ended with a 1–0 win.

The 1990s

Raja in 1996

During this period, the greens won many national and continental titles. The team won the championship six times, in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001, which remains an unbeaten record. Plus, they won a Moroccan cup in 1996, and four continental titles (2 CAF Champions League in 1997 and 1999, Afro-Asian Cup in 1998, and CAF Super Cup in 2000).

Appearances on the international circuit

Team of Raja in 2011 CAF Champions League.

2000 FIFA Club World Cup

Raja Casablanca is the only Moroccan club and the first African team to participate in the Club World Cup. They competed in the first edition that took place in 2000 in Brazil. The competition allowed them to confront some of the great football teams from around the world, such as Real Madrid from Spain and Corinthians from Brazil.

2013 FIFA Club World Cup

Raja Casablanca became the second club to reach the FIFA Club World final as the representative of CAF, after TP Mazembe,^[5] as well as the host nation's national champions, after Brazilian club Corinthians, and the first under the current seven-club format since the 2007 edition, as they defeated Auckland City FC then C.F. Monterrey and Atlético Mineiro (3–1) at the semi-final of the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup.^[6]

Style

The managers José Romão.

Since its inception, Raja has always had a reputation of being a team of artists playing enjoyably and having fun. Pere Jego has instilled a collective game, specific, based on short passes, the one-two, the offensive and individual achievement, hence the label "Raja lfraja" (Raja of the show).

With this system, Raja frightened their opponents and they were able to humiliate the biggest clubs with a spectacular game marked by small bridges as well as combinations of high level without worrying about the score. The team did not win a national title until 1974 with its first taste of the throne and in 1988 with its first victory in the championship followed by a Champions League in 1989, without counting the championship title refused to Raja in the 1959–1960 season.

The appearance on the world circuit had attracted the attention of many football experts. Just after 1997 Champions League, the team received an invitation from Marcello Lippi's Juventus to play a preparation match at Palermo. Their style of play led to Raja gaining the support and encouragement of 40,000 Brazilians at the Morumbi stadium in São Paulo, during its historic performance in the Club World Cup in 2000 in its game against Vicente Del Bosque's Real Madrid.^[7]

Team of Raja Casablanca vs Bayern Munich.

Honours

Performance in CAF competitions

Raja Casablanca season 2018-2019

• CAF Champions League: 16 appearances

1989 – Winners

1990 – Second round

1997 – Winners

1998 – Quarter-finals

1999 – Winners

2000 – Second round

2001 – Second round

2002 – Runners-up

2004 – First round

2005 – Semi-finals

2006 – Second round

2010 – First round

2011 – First round

2012 – Quarter-finals

2014 – First round

2015 – Second round

CAF ranking of African Clubs titles at the end of 20th century

Pos	Club	Titles	Trophies won
1	Zamalek SC	7 (+2)	4 African Cup of Champions Clubs, 1 CAF Cup Winners' Cup, 2 CAF Super Cup, (2 Afro-Asian Club Championship)
2	Al-Ahly SC	6 (+1)	2 African Cup of Champions Clubs, 4 CAF Cup Winners' Cups, (1 Afro-Asian Club Championship)
3	Raja Casablanca	5 (+1)	3 African Cup of Champions Clubs, 1 CAF Cup, 1 CAF Super Cup, (1 Afro-Asian Club Championship)
4	Espérance de Tunis	4 (+1)	1 African Cup of Champions Clubs, 1 CAF Cup Winners' Cup, 1 CAF Cup, 1 CAF Super Cup, (1 Afro-Asian Club Championship)

Presidents

Moulay Sassi Ben Ahmed El Alaoui Aboudarka honor president between (1949–1953).

No	Period	Name	From	To
1	1st	Ben Abadji Hejji (Temporary president)	1949	1956
2	1st	Boujemaâ Kadri	1956	1958
3	1st	Laachfoubi El Bouazzaoui	1958	1961
4	1st	Karim Hejjaj	1961	1968
5	1st	Mekki Laârej	1968	1970
6	1st	Mohammed Maâti Bouabid	1970	1972
7	1st	Abdellatif Semlali	1972	1974
8	1st	Abdelaziz Lemsioui	1974	1976
9	1st	Abdelwahed Maâch	1976	1981
10	1st	Abdellah El Ferdaous	1981	1984
11	1st	Houcine Sebbar	1984	1985
12	1st	Abdelkader Retnani	1985	1989
13	1st	Abdelhamid Souiri	1989	1990
14	1st	Mohamed Aouzal	1990	1992
15	1st	Abdellah Rhallam	1992	1998
16	1st	Ahmed Ammor	1998	2002
17	1st	Abdessalam Hanat	2002	2004
18	2nd	Abdelhamid Souiri	2004	2007
19	2nd	Abdellah Rhallam	2007	2010
20	2nd	Abdessalam Hanat	2010	2012
21	1st	Mohammed Boudrika	2012	2016
22	1st	Said Hassbane	2016	2018
23	2nd	Mohamed Aouzal	2018	2019

Managers

• 
  Pére Jègo : the manager, the men and the legend of Raja
• 
  Rabah Saâdane
• 
  Vahid Halilhodžić
• 
  Oscar Fulloné

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Anas Zniti 2 MF Mohamed Douik 8 DF Sanad Al Ouarfali 28 MF Muhammad Shaban 7 FW Zakaria Hadraf 23 FW Salaheddine Bahi 21 FW Mohamed Rahimi 9 FW Mouhcine Iajour 10 FW Saifeddine Alami 12 GK Mohamed Chennouf 13 DF Badr Banoun (Captain) 14 MF Lema Mabidi 16 DF Mohamed Oulhaj (Vice-Captain)

No. Position Player 18 FW Abdelilah Hafidi 19 DF Ibrahima Niasse 20 DF Abdeljalil Jbira 24 MF Mahmoud Benhalib 25 DF Omar Boutayeb 26 MF Mohamed Khaldane 27 FW Ayoub Joulal 55 MF Abderrahim Achchakir 88 GK Mohamed Bouamira 96 MF Walid Sebbar

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Juan Carlos Garrido
Assistant coach	Youssef Safri
Goalkeeping coach	Ahmed El Aynaine Said Dghay
Fitness coach	Diego Megías
Doctor	Mustapha El Bahlioui
Match delegate	Mustapha Tantaoui

Notable players

Goalscorers by season

Season	Players	Goals
2001–02	Hicham Aboucherouane	–
2002–03	Mustapha Bidoudane	17
2003–04	Mustapha Bidoudane	13
2004–05	Hicham Aboucherouane	20
2005–06	Mustapha Bidoudane	12
2006–07	Soufiane Alloudi	17
2007–08	André Senghor	9
2008–09	Mohsine Moutouali	10
2009–10	Omar Najdi	13
2010–11	Hassan Taïr	8
2011–12	Yassine Salhi	10
2012–13	Mouhcine Iajour	12
2013–14	Mouhcine Iajour	16
2014–15	Abdelilah Hafidi	9
2015–16	Abdelilah Hafidi	12
2016–17	Issam Erraki	10
2017–18	Mouhcine Iajour	25

Hicham Aboucherouane

Mohsine Moutouali

Transfers

• 
  Jamal Sellami
• 
  Youssef Safri

The most expensive transfers

Ran	Players	Indemnity	Years	Transfer		References
1st	Jamal Sellami	1.80 M€	1998	Raja CA	Beşiktaş JK
2nd	Michel Babatunde	1.10 M€	2016	Raja CA	Qatar SC
3rd	Soufiane Alloudi	1.00 M€	2007	Raja CA	Al Ain Club
4th	Amine Rbati	1.00 M€	2008	Raja CA	Olympique Marseille
5th	Mohsine Moutouali	1.00 M€	2014	Raja CA	Al-Wakrah SC
6th	Jaouad El Yamiq	0.80 M€	2018	Raja CA	Genoa FC

Club logos

The star of the flag of Morocco

The color of the logo and the colors of the club's shirts were inspired by the green color of the star quintet in the Moroccan flag. The old logo of the club was used for 52 years, since 1949, before being changed in 2001. The new club logo was designed by a private company that designs logos. The new logo included three small stars that indicate the number of cups that the club achieved in the African Champions League (1989, 1997 and 1999).

The club's first Golden Star was added after winning its tenth Moroccan League in 2011. After that, the club organized a special vote for the fans on the club's official Web site to choose a new logo for the club. The fans voted on three different logos; the winning logo got 10,366 votes, while the one in second place got 9,640 votes, and the third one got 2,153 votes, while the number of voters who did not like any of the suggested logos was 417 voters.

The kit of the club in the 1990s. It is one of the most famous in the history of the team.

Infrastructure

Supporters

The southern part of Complexe Mohamed V is fully occupied by supporters (ultras) of the club; it is the famous area called LMAGANA. Four sectors of this area of the stadium can be distinguished:

• The official gallery devoted in part to the leaders and members of the club.
• The Tribune side, covered with green seats and a rostrum.
• The Virage Sud, blank marked by the presence of a mythical scoreboard.
• The Bleachers, covered with green seats and free forum.

In 2013, according to a ranking that was done by a football website, the supporters of Raja Casablanca are among the world's 10 best football supporters, reaching fourth place. In 2014, after the amazing show of ultras of the club in the FIFA Club World Cup when Raja Casablanca had reached the final, they occupied first place in Africa and third in the whole world according to an annual ranking by Ultras World.

The supporters of Raja Casablanca are distributed in 2 ultras:

• Ultras Green-Boys 05
• Ultras Eagles 06

Clashes between the two groups dramatically erupted on 19 March 2016, during the match Raja Casablanca vs Chabab Rif Al Hoceima, leading to the death of two boys and leaving over 50 people badly injured but they reconciled with each other after these clashes of that night.^[10]

Rivalries

The Casablanca derby (Arabic: الدربي البيضاوي‎) is a derby between the Moroccan football clubs Raja and Wydad. Matches are played in the Stade Mohamed V, often containing a fierce and vibrant crowd.

The Casablanca derby has extensive national media coverage and is a topic of debate for several days before and after the match between the fans of both clubs, whether in the streets, schools or workplace.

The first match between the two rivals was in 1956 in which Raja won 1–0.

In 1978, Raja players withdrew from the match against Wydad during the second half because they were mistreated after conceding a penalty with a red card to their goalkeeper.^[11]

In 1996, Raja won 5–1 in the quarter-finals of the 1995–96 Coupe du Trône; this score is the highest between the two rivals.

As of 15 April 2018^[12]

Sponsors

References

• Raja Casablanca relishing underdog run to Club World Cup final – Sports Illustrated, 20 December 2013

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raja CA.

• Official website
• www.raja2015.com