Ibrahim El Asri was elected president of Wydad Casablanca on Tuesday, July 21, following a stormy general assembly. Members rejected the club’s financial report, leading to the resignation of the committee led by Hicham Aït Menna. El Asri defeated Yassine Saadallah and Anas Korami in the election and now takes charge with a clear objective: guiding Wydad back to silverware after four trophyless seasons.
His involvement with the club’s leadership is relatively recent. Following Saïd Naciri’s arrest and the subsequent period of instability, El Asri joined the committee headed by Abdelmajid Bernaki, whose tenure lasted only six months. That first experience allowed him to gain insight into the club’s inner workings, away from the spotlight.
From engineering to the Wydad Presidency
Born into a well-off family, the 32-year-old grew up in an environment where entrepreneurship played a central role. After earning his high school diploma from Lycée Louis-Bertrand in Casablanca, he studied civil engineering at the International University of Casablanca (UIC).
A trained engineer, he steadily climbed the ranks within the G3C Group, starting as a site engineer before becoming a project manager, then regional director. In 2023, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of G3 Casa, a subsidiary of the group and a major player in Morocco’s construction sector.
A lifelong Wydad supporter
El Asri’s connection to Wydad, though still little known to the wider public, spans many years. A lifelong supporter of the Red and Whites, he also played in the club’s football academy as a youngster, an experience that further strengthened his bond.
Ibrahim El Asri, the newly elected Wydad Casablanca president
He is also known to have close ties with former Wydad players Driss Fettouhi and Achraf Bencharki.
His election comes at a particularly difficult time. Wydad has endured several years of administrative and sporting turmoil, marked by the fallout from the Saïd Naciri case, the brief presidency of Abdelmajid Bernaki, and the tenure of Hicham Aït Menna, during which the club failed to win any silverware. By defeating Yassine Saadallah and Anas Korami, El Asri inherits a club in search of stability and results.
Read also : Ibrahim El Assri elected Wydad Athletic Club president
A return to Wydad’s fundamentals
Ahead of the vote, El Asri outlined the key pillars of his project to club members. His plan is built around a return to Wydad’s core values, with technical stability and strengthening the club’s identity as top priorities. The new president also announced his intention to appoint Uruguayan coach Daniel Carreño to lead the first team.
El Asri also plans to rely on former club leaders to restore the team’s spirit. The expected returns of former captain Yahya Jabrane and Aymane El Hassouni reflect that approach: bringing back players who know the club, can pass on its values, and guide the next generation.
The youngest president in Wydad’s history must now prove that his experience in the corporate world can translate into managing one of Morocco’s most demanding football clubs. His youth may be an advantage, but it will not earn him any leniency. At Wydad, presidents are judged above all by results.
