Achraf Dari: Morocco's Very Own Virgil Van Dijk

Achraf Dari was born on May 6, 1999 in Casablanca, Morocco. Casablanca, located on the west coast of the country, is known for its wonderful scenery and marvelous architecture. However, at the heart of the city, there is a historic, fierce and intense rivalry between two of Africa's most successful clubs Wydad Athletic Club (Wydad) and Raja Club Athletic (Raja).

Growing up in this vibrant, passionate and football-loving city, Dari was one of many young Moroccan kids who sought to follow the glorious path set before them by Casablanca-born Wydad, Deportivo La Coruña and Moroccan legend Nourredine Naybet. 

Against this backdrop, Dari's footballing journey began when he joined Wydad at just 8 years old. Since then, he has worked his way through their youth system and three days after his 19th birthday, he made his full debut for the club in a Botola Pro 1 (Morocco's First Division) fixture against Hassania Union Sport Agadir. He was on the winning side as the match ended 1-0 to Wydad, and would go on to make two further appearances in the 2017/2018 season.

The following season (2018/2019), Dari established himself as an undisputed starter. He started 26 out of 30 league games as Wydad went on to win the league title. He also started 13 out of 14 CAF Champions League matches as they reached the final, before losing to Esperance Sportive de Tunis 2-1 over two legs.