Hicham Aït Menna and the Club World Cup Grant: A Moral Responsibility Toward Wydad Nation?

By: Sara El Ouakili | Aldar

The presence of Hicham Aït Menna within the leadership of Wydad Athletic Club is stirring widespread controversy, particularly after the team’s disastrous performance in the FIFA Club World Cup held in the United States. Wydad exited the tournament with three consecutive defeats and zero points—a record that ranks among the worst in the club’s continental and international history.

As the current president of the club, Aït Menna bears much of the blame for this failure. His managerial and sporting decisions have proven deeply ineffective, from poorly planned player signings to inadequate physical and mental preparation for the tournament.

This situation raises serious and legitimate questions: Is Hicham Aït Menna treating the Club World Cup grant as personal spoils, ignoring the ethical and sporting responsibility attached to managing the funds of a historic institution like Wydad Casablanca? How can such a significant budget be allocated for such a humiliating participation—without accountability or public scrutiny?

Aït Menna arrived at Wydad already under fire for a disappointing stint with Chabab Mohammedia, where he failed to build a sustainable football project despite having considerable resources. Now, he appears to be replicating the same tensions and divisions within the Wydad camp. Numerous voices from within and outside the club have begun holding him responsible for the team’s decline—both technically and morally—calling for his immediate resignation to preserve the legacy and dignity of “Wydad Nation.”

In the midst of this growing crisis, real questions emerge about Aït Menna’s future at the helm of the club and his awareness of the weight of responsibility he carries. Wydad supporters are increasingly united in their demand to return the club to its core identity—led by true sons of the team who can restore its brilliance and competitive stature on the continental stage.

Will Hicham Aït Menna recognize the scale of public anger and step down with dignity? Or will the Club World Cup grant silence the critics, allowing him to remain—at the expense of the club’s future?