A Thrilling Conclusion to the First Half of the Championship
On Wednesday, the first half of the INWI Professional Championship concluded after more than seven months of intense competition, culminating in the Royal Army team being crowned the "Autumn Champion." This season, the league has presented a unique and compelling situation, characterized by a tightly contested leaderboard that intensifies the competition, making it increasingly challenging for clubs aspiring to claim the championship trophy. Notably, there is just a single point separating the teams in the first to fourth positions, showcasing the fierce rivalry among the top contenders.
Conversely, the battle to escape the relegation zone remains heated, as Olympic Safi missed a crucial opportunity to distance themselves from the bottom of the table, ensuring that the struggle for survival will be fierce throughout the second half of the championship.
Leaderboard Insights: A Dual Leadership and Fierce Pursuit
In the standings, both the Royal Army and the Fassi Moroccan team have successfully ascended to the top of the table with 31 points, surpassing the Casablanca giants, Raja and Wydad, who are tied for second place with 30 points each. Meanwhile, the Renaissance Berkane team continues its steady climb toward the top, securing fifth place with 27 points while the Meknes club follows closely behind in sixth place with 26 points, still holding onto hopes of competition.
In the 'safe zone,' the Hassania Agadir team occupies seventh place with 21 points, distancing itself from the recently awakened Rabat team in eighth place. The ninth position is shared by Nahda Zemamra, Olympic Dcheira, and Kawkab Marrakech, all amassing 16 points, while Hassania Agadir sits in twelfth with 15 points. At the bottom of the table, Union Yacoub Mansour has finished the first half in last place with just 7 points, trailing behind Union Tétouan, which has 9 points. Olympic Safi is trying to move away from the danger zones, currently in fourteenth place with 11 points, just two points ahead of Union Tangier, which holds thirteenth place.
Statistically, the first half of the championship has witnessed a modest goal tally compared to the previous season, with only 199 goals scored—33 fewer than last season's impressive 232 goals. Wydad Athletic Club leads the scoring charts with 25 goals, closely followed by Renaissance Berkane and the Royal Army, each netting 23 goals.
On the individual scoring front, Fassi Moroccan star Sofiane Benjida stands out with an impressive 13 goals, surpassing the duo of Hussein Rahimi and Mohamed Riahi, who each scored 11 goals last season. Defensively, Raja SC holds the title for the strongest defense, conceding only 4 goals, with the Royal Army following closely behind at 5 goals. Both teams have recorded the highest number of clean sheets at 11 matches each, with Morocco Fassi and Nahda Zemamra also performing well in this regard.
As the second half of the championship approaches, the return leg (Round 16) is set to kick off on Saturday, May 25, at 6 PM, promising more excitement and fierce competition in the weeks to come.
As reported by madar21.com.
