RS Berkane
ClubnameRS Berkane
FullnameRenaissance Sportive de Berkane
النهضة الرياضية البركانية
Founded21 May 1938
GroundBerkane Municipal Stadium
Capacity12,000
ChrtitlePresident
ChairmanHakim Benabdellah
MgrtitleCoach
ManagerMouin Chaâbani
LeagueBotola Pro
Season2024–25
PositionBotola Pro, 1st of 16 (champions)
Websitersb-football.com
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Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (Arabic: نادي النهضة البركانية), commonly referred to as RS Berkane, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Berkane. It competes in the Botola Pro, the top flight of Moroccan football.

Founded on 21 May 1938 and renamed in 1978, RS Berkane has traditionally worn an orange home kit since its inception. The club is primarily known for its football section. Over time, RS Berkane has become an established participant in Moroccan domestic competitions and continental African tournaments.[1][2]

In domestic competitions, the club has won the Moroccan league title once and the Moroccan Throne Cup on three occasions. At the continental level, RS Berkane has won four trophies: three CAF Confederation Cup titles and one CAF Super Cup. The club is among the most successful Moroccan teams of the 21st century and is the third most decorated Moroccan club in African competitions.

History

Founding and early years

The club was founded in 1978 under the name of Association Sportive de Berkane.[3] In 1953, a team driven by nationalism was created; it was called Union Sportive Musulmane de Berkane (USMB).[4][5] But this did not last, after a crisis that broke out in 1955.[6]

In 1959–1960, the Union Sportive Musulmane de Berkane was relegated to the 3rd division. In 1962–1963, it contested the play-off match to move up to the 2nd division. The first meeting was between Union Sportive Musulmane de Berkane, against Wydad de Fès. Berkane was promoted to the top division.

In 1966 it was renamed Union Sportive de Berkane and, in the same year, a new club was founded under the name of Chabab Riadhi de Berkane.

In 1971, both teams merged to make Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (Nahdat Berkane). This merger was beneficial for the club; it entered the 1st division in 1977–78.

In 1986, Berkane reached the final for the first time in their history after defeating MC Oujda 2–1 in the semi-final. On 7 September 1987, Berkane lost the 1986 Throne Cup final, after a 4–0 defeat by Kawkab Marrakech.[7]

Return to the Botola

The RSB regained its spot in the first Moroccan division in 2012, under the presidency of Fouzi Lekjaa, who ran the club since 2009.[8][9]

In 2014, Berkane reached the final for the second time, after a 2–0 victory against Maghreb de Fès. On 18 November, Berkane lost the final after a 2–0 loss against FUS Rabat.[10]

First success

In 2018, RS Berkane won its first ever title, the Moroccan Throne Cup after defeating Wydad de Fès In penalties.[11]

Berkane have been making steady progress over the years, culminating with their first continental silverware. After their Confederation Cup campaign ended at the quarter-final stage in 2018, they went further in 2019 and lost the final to Zamalek SC.[12] In the semi-final, Berkane defeated CS Sfaxien 3–2 on aggregate, reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time.[13]

In August 2019, after a decade at the helm, Fouzi Lekjaa stepped down as president of RS Berkane, marking the end of an era of transformative leadership. Following his resignation, Hakim Ben Abdellah was appointed as the new president, ushering in a new chapter for the club's administration.[14]

Hakim Ben Abdellah era (2019–present)

In 2020, Renaissance Sportive De Berkane was crowned Confederation Cup champions, clinching their first continental title in their history.[15] The club beat Egyptians Pyramids 1–0 in the final game at Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat.[16] In the semi-final, Berkane defeated countrymates Hassania Agadir 2–1both scored by Mohamed Aziz.[17]

In the 2022 CAF Confederation Cup, Berkane qualified to the knockout stages after finishing top in the group stages winning three matches, drawing one and losing two.[18] They defeated Al Masry in the Quarter-finals after an away goal ruled in their favor.[19] In the Semi-final, they faced TP Mazembe, which ended in a 4–2 victory on aggregate.[20] On 20 May 2022, Berkane defeated Orlando Pirates F.C. on penalties to win their second African title.[21] With this win, Berkane will play in the first-ever all-Moroccan CAF Super Cup against 2021–22 CAF Champions League winners, Wydad AC.[22][23] On 28 July 2022, Berkane defeated Wydad in penalties in the 2020–21 Moroccan Throne Cup to win its second domestic title.[24]

On 11 September 2022, Berkane defeated Wydad 2–0 to win its first ever CAF Super Cup.[25] They failed to qualify for the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup.[26] However, following a poor start to the season, Abdelhak Benchikha was sacked in November 2022 after three months officially in charge, with Berkane in 13th place in the table.[27]

On 12 September 2023, Berkane announced the club will contribute MAD 500 thousand to the "Al Haouz Earthquake".[28]

In the 2023–24 CAF Confederation Cup, Berkane qualified to the knockout stages after finishing top in the group stages winning four matches and drawing two.[29] They defeated Abu Salim in the Quarter-finals.[30] In the first leg of the Semi-final, Berkane was awarded a 3–0 victory after the match was abandoned due to the confiscation of Berkane jerseys by the Algerian security forces at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers because of the presence of the Moroccan map along with its disputed Southern Provinces.[31][32][33] On 1 May, CAF confirmed the qualification of Berkane to the CAF Confederation Cup final, In the final they lost the title against Zamalek SC despite a (2-2) draw due to the away goal advantage.[34]

The 2024–25 season marked the most successful campaign in Berkane's history, as the club clinched its first-ever Botola title,[35] secured their third CAF Confederation Cup title,[36] and capped off the historic run by reaching the Throne Cup final. However, they were defeated in the final, missing the chance to complete a historic treble.[37] Their league triumph also earned them a place in the CAF Champions League for the first time, where they will compete in the 2025–26 season,[38] and in their debut appearance they impressively reached the semi-finals before being narrowly defeated 2–1 by fellow domestic rivals from the same country.[39]

Grounds

The Stade Municipal de Berkane, located in the city of Berkane in eastern Morocco, has been the home stadium for the team since 2014. With a seating capacity of 10,000 spectators, the stadium underwent significant improvements in 2017 when a natural lawn replaced the synthetic turf that was initially installed.[40] Notably, the stadium gained recognition when it hosted the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup between RS Berkane and Zamalek SC[41] on 19 May 2019. Today, the venue is not only used for local matches, including the Botola Pro but also for international games, such as the CAF Confederation Cup.

Apart from its seating area, the stadium features several essential facilities, including a foyer, a hall of honor, a doping control room, a nursing room, two clothes warehouses, sanitary facilities, and a meeting room for referees. Moreover, the playing field is covered with artificial grass that incorporates natural fibers, ensuring an optimal playing surface for the athletes. With its modern amenities and rich sporting history, the Stade Municipal de Berkane continues to serve as a symbol of pride for both the local community and fans of the game.[42]

Performance in CAF competitions

2026 – Semi-finals
2015 – First round
2018 – Quarter-finals
2019 – Runners-up
2020 – Winners
2021 – Group stage
2022 – Winners
2023 – Play-off round
2024 – Runners-up
2025 – Winners
2021 – Runners-up
2022 – Winners
2025 – Runners-up

Honours

TypeCompetitionTitlesWinning seasonsRunners-up
DomesticBotola Pro12024–251982–83
Moroccan Throne Cup[43]32018, 2020–21, 2021–221986–87, 2013–14, 2024–25
Botola Pro 211976–771979–80, 2011–12
ContinentalCAF Confederation Cup[44]32019–20, 2021–22, 2024–252018–19, 2023–24
CAF Super Cup[45]120222021, 2025

Doubles and Trebles

Awards

  • "UMFP" Moroccan Team of the Year: 2025

Current squad

As of 6 April, 2026.

Managers

Presidents

  • Fouzi Lekjaa (2009 – August 2019)[14]
  • Hakim Ben Abdellah (August 2019 – present)

References

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