Hakim Ziyech Set to Leave Wydad Casablanca for Botafogo
Former Morocco international Hakim Ziyech is reportedly set to leave hometown club Wydad Casablanca and continue his career in Brazil with Botafogo.
Ziyech has spent the last two years outside European football after ending his spell at Galatasaray in January 2025 and moving to Qatar with Al-Duhail SC. His time in the Middle East lasted around nine months before the Netherlands-born playmaker returned to Morocco to join Wydad, one of the country’s biggest clubs.
The 33-year-old spent one season with Wydad and produced respectable numbers, contributing nine goals and two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions.
However, Ziyech has now opted for another change of scenery. The former Chelsea and Ajax playmaker has reportedly terminated his contract with Wydad as he prepares to embark on a new challenge outside Morocco.
According to L’Equipe, Ziyech has agreed to join Brazilian Serie A side Botafogo. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has also reported that the move has reached the “Here We Go” stage, indicating that the transfer is close to completion.
Ziyech is reportedly set to sign a contract running until 2028 once the remaining formalities have been completed. He is expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro in the coming days before being officially presented by Botafogo.
The move comes at a difficult moment for the Brazilian club. Botafogo currently sit 13th in the league standings with 31 points from 25 matches and will be hoping Ziyech can provide additional creativity and experience during the remainder of the campaign.
For Ziyech, the transfer represents another major chapter in a career that has taken him from the Netherlands to England, Turkey, Qatar and Morocco. He made his name at Ajax before earning a high-profile move to Chelsea and becoming a key member of Morocco’s famous World Cup semi-final run in 2022.
A move to Botafogo would also make Ziyech the latest established European-based player to continue his career in Brazil. Memphis Depay has represented Corinthians, Lucas Paqueta remains at Flamengo, and Martin Braithwaite continues to feature for Gremio.
Botafogo already have several players with Premier League experience within their squad. Former Manchester United defender Alex Telles is among them, while Danilo previously represented Nottingham Forest before making the move to Brazil.
Should the transfer be completed as expected, Ziyech will add another layer of international experience to Botafogo’s squad. The Moroccan will now look to make an impact in Brazilian football and help the club climb away from the lower half of the table.
