Ammouta: African champions Wydad Casablanca sack coach

African Champions League holders Wydad Casablanca on Tuesday announced the dismissal of coach Houcine Ammouta due to the team’s poor domestic results.

Despite Wydad’s impressive 2017, in which the team won the African Champions League and the Moroccan title, the team are currently 12th in the table of their domestic league with 16 points, 13 behind leaders Hassania Agadir.

A 2-1 loss to Kawkab Marrakech on Monday proved the last straw for Wydad’s board.

"We respect Ammouta but we are all working for the team"

Ammouta took charge of Wydad in early 2017, replacing the Frenchman Sebastien Dessabre.

He led the team to victory in the 2016/17 African Champions League, defeating Egypt’s giants Al Ahly in the final.

However, Wydad’s slide began with their participation in the Club World Cup in the UAE, where the club finished last with two defeats.

On their return to Morocco, the team failed to catch up with the pace in the domestic league, claiming only four wins from 14 games, with four draws and six defeats.

"After the bad results, the club's board held a meeting on Tuesday and decided to end the contract of head coach Hussein Amotta and his technical staff," a club statement read.

"The board appreciates the work of the coach after he led the team to win the Moroccan championship, the African Champions League and a place at the Club World Cup," the statement continued.

"We respect the coach but we are all working for Wydad and so that's why we took the decision to end Hussein Amotta's contract and we wish him all the best."

Ammouta was on the shortlist for the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Coach of the Year award. He lost out to Egypt’s Argentinian coach Hector Cúper, who led the Pharaohs to their first World Cup finals since 1990.