Renaissance Berkane

Renaissance Sportive de Berkane () commonly referred to as Nahdat Berkane or RS Berkane for short, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Berkane, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football.

Founded on 21 May 1938 and changed its name in 1978, the club has traditionally worn an orange home kit since inception. RS Berkane is a well known club for the success of its football section, very popular in and outside the country. Berkane established itself as a major force in both Moroccan and African football.

In domestic football, the club has won the league title once and the Moroccan Throne Cup title three times. In international competitions, Berkane have won 4 trophies; three CAF Confederation Cup titles and one CAF Super Cup title. Berkane is also, one of the most successful Moroccan club of the 21st century, and is the 3rd most crowned Moroccan club in Africa with 4 titles in official competitions.

History

Founding and early years

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

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.

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.

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.

2018–present

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

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. In the semi-final, Berkane defeated CS Sfaxien 3–2 on aggregate, reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time.

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.

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

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. They defeated Al Masry in the Quarter-finals after an away goal ruled in their favor. In the Semi-final, they faced TP Mazembe, which ended in a 4–2 victory on aggregate. On 20 May 2022, Berkane defeated Orlando Pirates F.C. on penalties to win their second African title. With this win, Berkane will play in the first-ever all-Moroccan CAF Super Cup against 2021–22 CAF Champions League winners, Wydad AC. On 28 July 2022, Berkane defeated Wydad in penalties in the 2020–21 Moroccan Throne Cup to win its second domestic title.

On 11 September 2022, Berkane defeated Wydad 2–0 to win its first ever CAF Super Cup. They failed to qualify for the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup. 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.

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

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. They defeated Abu Salim in the Quarter-finals. 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. 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.

Berkane secured their first-ever Botola title in the 2024–25 season after a 1–1 draw with Union de Touarga on 16 March 2025. This achievement also earned them a spot in the CAF Champions League for the first time in history, where they will begin playing in the 2025–26 season.

Grounds

The Stade Municipal de Berkane, located in the city of Berkane in the Eastern of 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. Notably, the stadium gained recognition when it hosted the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup between RS Berkane and Zamalek SC 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 impressive 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 beautiful game.

Performance in CAF competitions

*CAF Confederation Cup: 9 appearances

::2015 – First Round
::2018 – Quarter-finals
::2019 – ''Runner-up''
::2020 – Champion
::2021 – Group stage
::2022 – Champion
::2023 – Playoff Round
::2024 – ''Runner-up''
::2025 – Champion

*CAF Super Cup 2 appearances

::2021 – ''Runner-up''
:: 2022 – Champion

Honours

Doubles and Trebles

*International Trebles
**Moroccan Throne Cup, CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Super Cup (1): 2022

Current squad

''As of 14 January, 2025.''

Managers

* Djilali Abdi ( 1991 – 1992)
* Abdelkader Sennour ( 1996 – 1997)
* Salah Badache ( 2007 – 2008)
* Bertrand Marchand (16 October 2012 – 17 June 2013)
* Umberto Barberis (1 July 2013 – 30 October 2013)
* Youssef Lemrini (30 October 2013 – 30 June 2017)
* Mounir Jaouani (1 July 2017 – 2019)
* Tarik Sektioui (2019 – 2021)
* Juan Pedro Benali (2021 – 2021)
* Florent Ibengé (July 2021 – 11 September 2022)
* Abdelhak Benchikha (10 August 2022 – 11 November 2022)
* Amine El Karma (11 November 2022 – 11 February 2024)
* Mouin Chaâbani (12 February 2024 – present)

Presidents

* Fouzi Lekjaa (2009 – August 2019)
* Hakim Ben Abdellah ( August 2019 – present)

References

External links

Club profile
– ''Soccerway''
instagram accountTwitter accountYoutube channelFacebook page

{{CAF Super Cup winners

Football clubs in Morocco
1978 establishments in Morocco
Sports clubs and teams in Morocco
RS Berkane
Association football clubs established in 1978
CAF Confederation Cup winning clubs