Nasreddine Nabi suffered his first defeat as Wydad Athletic Club head coach after his team lost 2-1 to Kawkab Marrakech in the Moroccan Botola Pro League on Saturday.

The defeat came as a major setback for Wydad, who had entered the encounter hoping to continue their positive start under the former Kaizer Chiefs coach. Nabi had guided the Casablanca-based side to two consecutive victories before Saturday's disappointing result brought his unbeaten run to an end.

Wydad's afternoon became complicated early in the match when defender Haytham Hamani received a red card in the seventh minute, forcing the visitors to continue with 10 players for almost the entire contest.

Kawkab Marrakech capitalised on their numerical advantage and took the lead in the 18th minute through Oussama Mahrous. The hosts continued to put pressure on Wydad and doubled their advantage just before halftime when Saleh Essalami found the net in the 44th minute.

Despite being two goals behind, Wydad refused to surrender. Oussama Zemraoui pulled one back in the 59th minute, giving the visitors renewed hope of rescuing a point.

However, Kawkab Marrakech remained organised defensively and successfully protected their advantage until the final whistle, securing all three points.

The victory strengthened Marrakech's position at the top of the standings with 16 points, while Wydad remained on 11 points, leaving them five points behind the league leaders.

For Nabi, the defeat represents an early challenge in his attempt to establish stability at the Moroccan giants. His record now stands at two victories and one defeat from three matches.

With expectations particularly high at Wydad, the Tunisian tactician will be under pressure to ensure his team responds positively in their next fixture.

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