Botola Pro D1: 27 goals highlight explosive opening round in Morocco

11:18

The opening round of the Botola Pro D1 “Inwi” has delivered an early indication of what could become a high-scoring Moroccan league season, with 27 goals registered across the seven matches played so far.

Away teams dominated the first weekend, accounting for 17 of those goals compared with 10 scored by the hosts. Four visiting sides claimed victories, while home teams recorded two wins and one match ended in a draw.

The first round is still awaiting its headline fixture, with AS FAR set to face Raja Casablanca in a highly anticipated encounter.

COD Meknès sets the early scoring benchmark

COD Meknès produced the most emphatic attacking display of the opening round, defeating Difaâ El Jadida 6-2 at El Jadida’s El Abdi Stadium.

The eight-goal encounter was the most productive match of the weekend and immediately placed the Meknès side at the top of the provisional standings on goal difference.

The result also highlighted the contrasting starts made by the two teams, with COD Meknès converting its chances efficiently while Difaâ El Jadida conceded six goals in its first league appearance of the season.

Widad Témara shocks Wydad Casablanca

Another notable result came in Casablanca, where Widad Témara defeated Wydad Casablanca 3-1 at the Mohammed V Sports Complex.

The result represented one of the biggest surprises of the opening round, with the promoted side showing that it can compete against one of the established names in Moroccan football.

Ittihad Tanger also began its campaign with an away victory, beating newly promoted Amal Tiznit 3-1. The northern club controlled the decisive moments of the match to return home with three points.

Hassania Agadir completed the sequence of four away victories by overcoming Kawkab Marrakech 3-2 in a five-goal contest.

Home advantage works for Union Touarga and Maghreb Fès

While visiting teams dominated the opening weekend, two clubs successfully capitalized on home conditions.

Union Touarga won the Rabat derby against FUS Rabat 2-1, securing three points in a closely contested encounter.

Maghreb Fès also began its title campaign with a 2-1 victory over Renaissance Zemamra. The result gives the defending champions an encouraging start as they begin their attempt to retain the Botola title.

The only match that failed to produce a goal was the meeting between Moghreb Tétouan and Renaissance Berkane, which ended 0-0.

That draw stood apart from an otherwise attacking opening round: six of the seven matches produced at least three goals.

Defences already under pressure

The goal figures also expose some early defensive problems.

Difaâ El Jadida conceded six times against COD Meknès, while Wydad Casablanca and Amal Tiznit each allowed three goals. Kawkab Marrakech suffered the same fate in its 3-2 defeat to Hassania Agadir.

With 27 goals scored in seven matches, the opening round produced an average of nearly four goals per game. The figures point to a competition in which attacking efficiency could play a major role, although the season remains at an early stage.

Promoted clubs make an immediate impact

The performances of the newly promoted sides provided another important feature of the opening weekend.

Amal Tiznit and Widad Témara both entered the top division with challenging fixtures, but Widad Témara secured a particularly significant result by defeating Wydad Casablanca away from home.

Although Amal Tiznit lost to Ittihad Tanger, its presence among the elite adds another dimension to a league already showing a strong competitive balance.

Six clubs collected three points from the opening round, with COD Meknès temporarily occupying first place because of its superior goal difference.

A promising start to the new campaign

The first round has therefore produced a combination of high-scoring matches, away victories and unexpected results. The 27 goals, together with the strong performances from several visiting teams, have given the new Botola campaign an energetic opening.

The picture will become clearer once the remaining fixture between AS FAR and Raja Casablanca is played. For now, however, the opening results have provided an early indication of a league where attacking ambition could be one of the defining features of the season.