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| Full name | Renaissance Sportive de Berkane النهضة الرياضية البركانية | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Oranges Boys | |||
| Founded | 1938; 87 years ago (1938) | |||
| Ground | Berkane Municipal Stadium Berkane, Morocco | |||
| Capacity | 12,000 | |||
| Chairman | Hakim Benabdellah | |||
| Coach | Mouin Chaâbani | |||
| League | Botola | |||
| 2024–25 | 1st | |||
| Website | rsb-football | |||
Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (Arabic:نادي النهضة البركانية) commonly referred to asNahdat Berkane orRS Berkane for short, is a Moroccan professionalfootball club based inBerkane, that competes inBotola, the top flight ofMoroccan 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[1] 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.[2]
In domestic football, the club has won the league title once and theMoroccan Throne Cup title three times. In international competitions, Berkane have won 3 trophies; twoCAF Confederation Cup titles and oneCAF 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 3 titles in official competitions.
The club was founded in 1978 under the name ofAssociation Sportive de Berkane.[3] In 1953, a team driven by nationalism, was created. It was calledUnion 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, againstWydad de Fès. Berkane was promoted to the top division.
In 1966 it was renamedUnion Sportive de Berkane and in the same year, a new club was founded under the name ofChabab 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 defeatingMC Oujda 2–1 in the semi-final. On 7 September 1987, Berkane lost the1986 Throne Cup final, after a 4–0 defeat byKawkab Marrakech.[7]
The RSB regained its spot in the first Moroccan division in 2012, under the presidency ofFouzi Lekjaa, who ran the club since 2009.[8][9]
In 2014, Berkane reached the final for the second time, after a 2–0 victory againstMaghreb de Fès. On 18 November, Berkane lost the final after a 2–0 loss againstFUS Rabat.[10]
In 2018, RS Berkane won its first ever title, theMoroccan Throne Cup after defeatingWydad 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 in2018, they went further in2019 and lost the final toZamalek SC.[12] In the semi-final, Berkane defeatedCS Sfaxien 3–2 on aggregate, reaching the final of theCAF 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]
In 2020, Renaissance Sportive De Berkane was crowned Confederation Cup champions, clinching their first continental title in their history.[15] The club beat EgyptiansPyramids 1–0 in the final game atMoulay Abdallah Stadium inRabat.[16] In the semi-final, Berkane defeated countrymatesHassania Agadir 2–1both scored byMohamed Aziz.[17]
In the2022 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 defeatedAl Masry in the Quarter-finals after an away goal ruled in their favor.[19] In the Semi-final, they facedTP Mazembe, which ended in a 4–2 victory on aggregate.[20] On 20 May 2022, Berkane defeatedOrlando Pirates F.C. on penalties to win their second African title.[21] With this win, Berkane will play in the first-everall-MoroccanCAF Super Cup against2021–22 CAF Champions League winners,Wydad AC.[22][23] On 28 July 2022, Berkane defeatedWydad in penalties in the2020–21 Moroccan Throne Cup to win its second domestic title.[24]
On 11 September 2022, Berkane defeatedWydad 2–0 to win its first everCAF Super Cup.[25] They failed to qualify for the2023 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 the2023–24 CAF Confederation Cup, Berkane qualified to the knockout stages after finishing top in the group stages winning four matches and drawing two.[29] They defeatedAbu 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 theconfiscation of Berkane jerseys by the Algerian security forces atHouari Boumediene Airport inAlgiers because of the presence of theMoroccan map along withits disputed Southern Provinces.[31][32][33] On 1 May,CAF confirmed the qualification of Berkane to theCAF 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]
Berkane secured their first-ever league title in the2024–25 Botola season after a 1-1 draw withUnion de Touarga on matchday 25.[35] This achievement also earned them a spot in theCAF Champions League for the first time in history, where they will begin playing in the2025–26season.[36]
TheStade Municipal de Berkane, located in the city of Berkane in the Eastern ofMorocco, 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.[37] Notably, the stadium gained recognition when it hosted the first leg of theCAF Confederation Cup between RS Berkane andZamalek SC[38] on 19 May 2019. Today, the venue is not only used for local matches, including theBotola Pro but also for international games, such as theCAF 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.[39]
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winning Seasons | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Botola Pro | 1 | 2024–25 | 1982–83 |
| Moroccan Throne Cup[40] | 3 | 2018,2020–21,2021–22 | 1986–87,2013–14 | |
| Botola Pro 2 | 1 | 1976–77 | 1979–80, 2011–12 | |
| Continental | CAF Confederation Cup[41] | 2 | 2019–20,2021–22 | 2018–19,2023–24 |
| CAF Super Cup[42] | 1 | 2022 | 2021 |
As of 14 January, 2025.Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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)[43]Juan Pedro Benali (2021 – 2021)[44]
Florent Ibengé (July 2021 – 11 September 2022)[45]Abdelhak Benchikha (10 August 2022 – 11 November 2022)[46]Amine El Karma (11 November 2022 – 11 February 2024)[47]
Mouin Chaâbani (12 February 2024 – present)[48]Fouzi Lekjaa (2009 – August 2019)[14] Hakim Ben Abdellah ( August 2019 – present)| National teams |
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