Botola Pro: Dcheira achieve historic promotion following playoff victory

Olympic Dcheira celebrate a historic promotion to Morocco's top flight Botola Pro. Photo: Olympic Dcheira/Facebook

Two places in Morocco's top division Botola Pro were at stake in the promotion/relegation playoff and there will be a club making its top flight debut next season after Olympic Dcheira defeated Chabab Salmi by a 4-2 aggregate score. Hassania Agadir retained their top division status in the other match with a 1-0 victory over Raja Beni Mellal on Saturday.

After suffering a 1-2 defeat at home in the first leg against Chabab Salmi, Dcheira stunned the Botola Pro side on Friday with a 3-0 victory in the second leg to triumph 4-2 on the aggregate score. Mohammed Adjar scored twice in the final twenty minutes to confirm a historic promotion for Dcheira, who have never experienced the Botola Pro since their founding in 1940.

The club from the central region of Souss-Massa celebrated long into the night and will look forward to the challenge of facing the top clubs in Moroccan football.

On Saturday, Dcheira's fellow Botola 2 side Raja Ben Mellal came just short of achieving promotion after Hassania Agadir won 1-0. After a 0-0 first leg score, hosts HUSA dominated the second leg but the visitors kept the match scoreless through the first half.

However, Congolese forward Katulondi Kati finished from close range after Yassine Rami nodded down a cross for the former DC Motema Pembe player. The match ended in relief for supporters of the two-time Botola Pro champions who reached the semifinals of the CAF Confederation Cup only five years ago.