Morocco women's national football team

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Morocco
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)لبؤات أطلس (Lionesses of Atlas)
AssociationRoyal Moroccan Football Federation
Head coachJorge Vilda
CaptainGhizlane Chebbak
Top scorerGhizlane Chebbak (23)
Home stadiumStade Moulay Hassan
FIFA codeMAR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 58 Increase 2 (15 March 2024)[1]
Highest52 (July – August 2003)
Lowest83 (July 2019)
First international
 South Africa 1–1 Morocco 
(Pretoria, South Africa; 5 July 1998)
Biggest win
 Morocco 8–0 Lebanon 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 23 April 2006)
Biggest defeat
 Nigeria 8–0 Morocco 
(Kaduna, Nigeria; 17 October 1998)
World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2023)
Best resultRound of 16 (2023)
Women's Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances4 (first in 1998)
Best resultRunners-up (2022)

The Morocco women's national football team (Arabic: منتخب المغرب لكرة القدم للسيدات, French: Équipe du Maroc féminine de football) represents Morocco in international women's football and is managed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The team played its first international match in 1998, as part of the third Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

They have participated in the FIFA Women's World Cup once, in 2023. They made history in the same tournament,[2] qualifying to the knock-out stages after placing second in the group stages before they fell short in the Round of 16 to France.

The traditional rivals of Morocco are mainly Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt.[3]

History

On 26 April 2006, Morocco made their first ever final in the 2006 Arab Women's Championship, defeating Egypt 4–2 in the semi-final. They lost the final 1–0 against Algeria.[4]

2020s

On 22 February 2020, Morocco lionesses managed to win the 2020 UNAF Women's Cup after defeating Algeria 2–0 to top the final standings.[5][6]

After hiatus and lack of achievement, the Women's AFCON was expanded to 12 teams, starting from 2020, but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the first edition was held in Morocco 2022 instead.[7] Using this home advantage, Morocco restarted its women's football structure, rebuilt its women's team that has long been neglected. With greater interest, Morocco was able to create history by reaching the semi-finals in their home soil.[8][9] With this achievement, Morocco made a history as the first Arab country to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup,[10][11] debuting in 2023.[12][13] Morocco went on to make another historic chapter as the first North African and Arab country to participate in the final of a continental tournament by beating African powerhouse and three-times defending champions Nigeria on penalties.[14][15] However, Morocco could not finish its dream in the final after losing to an experienced South African side, whose two goals crushed the Moroccan dream to win the title.[16][17]

In their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup, Morocco qualified to the Knockout-stages after placing second in their group, losing their first match 6–0 to Germany[18][19] and winning both their second and third match 1–0 respectively against South Korea and Colombia.[20][21][22] Thus, becoming the lowest ranked nation to qualify for the Knock-out stages.[23][24] They ended their journey in the Round of 16, after losing 4–0 to France.[25]

On 12 October 2023, Spanish coach Jorge Vilda was announced as the new head coach of the Moroccan women's team.[26][27] On 14 November 2023, Morocco was nominated for the 2023 Best African Women’s National Team of the Year by CAF.[28]

Nicknames

The Morocco women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Atlas Lionesses".[29][30]

Home stadium

Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

Morocco's home matches were held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, managed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The stadium served as the home ground for AS FAR and frequently hosted matches for the men's team. Situated in Rabat, Morocco, this iconic venue has been the stage for numerous significant tournaments. Among these, the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations stands out as a significant event, where Morocco showcased their prowess by playing all their matches at this stadium and even reached the final. Though they lost to South Africa in the final, the stadium will forever be remembered for witnessing Morocco's historic qualification to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time.

Kit suppliers

Morocco's home colours are most red shirts and green shorts and socks, away colours are usually all white or all green.

Kit provider Period
Germany Puma 1998–2002
United States Nike 2003–2006
Germany Puma 2007–2011
Germany Adidas 2012–2019
Germany Puma 2019–[31]

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2023

6 April International Friendly Czech Republic  2–0  Morocco Chomutov, Czechia
20:30 UTC+1
Stadium: Letní stadion
11 April International Friendly Romania  1–0  Morocco Bucharest, Romania
17:30 
1 July Friendly Italy  0–0  Morocco Ferrara, Italy
18:15 UTC+2 Stadium: Paolo Mazza stadium
Referee: Ioanna Allayitou (Cyprus)
5 July International Friendly Switzerland  0–0  Morocco TBC, Switzerland
24 July FIFA WC GS Germany  6–0  Morocco Melbourne, Australia
18:30 UTC+10
Report Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Attendance: 27,256
Referee: Tori Penso (United States)
30 July FIFA WC GS South Korea  0–1  Morocco Adelaide, Australia
14:00 UTC+9:30 Report Jraïdi 6' Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium
Attendance: 12,886
Referee: Edina Alves Batista (Brazil)
3 August FIFA WC GS Morocco  1–0  Colombia Perth, Australia
18:00 UTC+8 Lahmari 45+4' Report Stadium: Perth Rectangular Stadium
Attendance: 17,342
Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi (Italy)
8 August 2023 FIFA WC R16 France  4–0  Morocco Adelaide, Australia
20:30 UTC+9:30
Report Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium
Attendance: 13,557
Referee: Tori Penso (United States)
26 September International Friendly Morocco  2–6  Zambia Rabat
19:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium
31 October 2024 Olympic qualifying Morocco  2–0
(4–0 agg.)
 Namibia Rabat
Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium
Note: Morocco won 4–0 on aggregate.
1 December International Friendly Morocco  1–1  Uganda Casablanca, Morocco
19:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium
Referee: Rokiatou Fofana (Mali)

2024

23 February 2024 (2024-02-23) 2024 Olympic qualifying Tunisia  1–2  Morocco Soliman, Tunisia
Stadium: Stade municipal de Soliman
28 February 2024 (2024-02-28) 2024 Olympic qualifying Morocco  4–1
(6–2 agg.)
 Tunisia Rabat,Morocco
Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium
Note: Morocco won 6–2 on aggregate.
1 April 2024 (2024-04-01) 2024 Olympic qualifying Zambia  v  Morocco Ndola , Zambia
17:00 UTC+2 Stadium: Levy Mwanawasa Stadium
9 April 2024 (2024-04-09) 2024 Olympic qualifying Morocco  v  Zambia Rabat,Morocco
20:00 UTC±0 Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Spain Jorge Vilda
Assistant coach Vacant
Goalkeeping coach Vacant
Fitness coach Morocco Khadija Addal

Manager history

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for 2024 CAF Women's Olympic qualifying game against  Tunisia on 23 and 28 February 2024 .[35]

Caps and goals accurate up to and including (5 December 2023).

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Khadija Er-Rmichi (1989-09-16) 16 September 1989 (age 34) 60 0 Morocco ASFAR
22 1GK Inès Arouaissa (2001-06-30) 30 June 2001 (age 22) 1 0 France Cannes
- 1GK Zineb El Arari (1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 24) 0 0 Morocco Jawharat Najm Larache

2 2DF Zineb Redouani (2000-06-12) 12 June 2000 (age 23) 42 2 Morocco ASFAR
13 2DF Sabah Seghir (2000-09-27) 27 September 2000 (age 23) 22 1 Switzerland Basel
21 2DF Yasmin Mrabet (1999-08-08) 8 August 1999 (age 24) 26 3 Spain Levante Las Planas
3 2DF Nouhaïla Benzina (1998-05-11) 11 May 1998 (age 25) 21 0 Morocco ASFAR
4 2DF Siham Boukhami (1992-02-01) 1 February 1992 (age 32) 9 1 Morocco ASFAR
14 2DF Maryame Atiq (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Spain Unión Viera
17 2DF Hanane Aït El Haj (1994-11-02) 2 November 1994 (age 29) 55 1 Morocco AS FAR

3MF Djennah Chierif Netherlands Feyenoord
10 3MF Najat Badri (1988-05-19) 19 May 1988 (age 35) 33 5 Morocco ASFAR
6 3MF Élodie Nakkach (1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 29) 47 3 Switzerland Servette
15 3MF Inès Kbida (2003-05-10) 10 May 2003 (age 20) France Marseille
3MF Sarah Kassi (2003-09-09) 9 September 2003 (age 20) 7 0 France Fleury
16 3MF Anissa Lahmari (1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 (age 27) 6 1 Spain Levante Las Planas
11 3MF Fatima Tagnaout (1999-01-20) 20 January 1999 (age 25) 43 4 Morocco ASFAR
3MF Nour Imane Addi (1997-06-10) 10 June 1997 (age 26) Scotland Celtic
3MF Safa Banouk Netherlands ASFAR

7 4FW Ghizlane Chebbak (captain) (1991-02-19) 19 February 1991 (age 33) 71 23 Morocco ASFAR
20 4FW Imane Saoud (2002-06-06) 6 June 2002 (age 21) 26 5 Switzerland Servette
14 4FW Yasmine Zouhir (2005-07-16) 16 July 2005 (age 18) France Saint-Étienne U19
8 4FW Rosella Ayane (1996-03-16) 16 March 1996 (age 28) 31 10 England Tottenham Hotspur
19 4FW Sakina Ouzraoui (2001-08-29) 29 August 2001 (age 22) 18 1 Belgium Anderlecht
9 4FW Ibtissam Jraïdi (1992-12-09) 9 December 1992 (age 31) 58 13 Saudi Arabia Al Ahli

Fatima Bambara Morocco Sporting Club Casablanca
Aziza Rebbah Morocco AS FAR (women)
Salma Bouguerch Morocco Wydad Athletic Club
Rania Boutiebi Belgium Club Brugge Kv

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Assia Zouhair (1991-04-30) 30 April 1991 (age 32) 10 0 Morocco CAK v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023

DF Fatima El Ghazouani (2005-05-11) 11 May 2005 (age 18) France Quevilly-Rouen v.  Switzerland, 5 July 2023
DF Rkia Mazrouai (2002-05-11) 11 May 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Belgium Gent 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
DF Ghizlane Chhiri (1994-09-11) 11 September 1994 (age 29) 7 0 Morocco ASFAR v.  Namibia, 31 October 2023
DF Meryem Hajri (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994 (age 29) 12 6 Morocco Sporting Club Casablanca v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023
DF Nesryne El Chad (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 21) 23 3 France Lille v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023
DF Samia Fikri (1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 (age 24) 3 0 France Montauban v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023

MF Samya Masnaoui (2005-09-16) 16 September 2005 (age 18) Netherlands Ajax Youth v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21 February 2023
MF Kawtar Ait Omar (2004-02-19) 19 February 2004 (age 20) Netherlands Fortuna Sittard v.   Switzerland, 5 July 2023
MF Salma Amani (1989-11-28) 28 November 1989 (age 34) 35 7 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad  Zambia, 26 September 2023
MF Samya Hassani (2000-01-03) 3 January 2000 (age 24) 7 3 Netherlands Telstar v.  Namibia, 31 October 2023
MF Ibtissam Bouharat (1990-01-02) 2 January 1990 (age 34) 2 1 Belgium KV Mechelen v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023
MF Sana Daoudi (1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 26) France Guingamp v.  Uganda, 5 December 2023

FW Anissa Belkasmi (2002-07-09) 9 July 2002 (age 21) France Orléans v.   Switzerland, 5 July 2023
FW Fatima Zohra Gharbi (2001-05-15) 15 May 2001 (age 22) 3 0 Spain Europa 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
FW Sofia Bouftini (2002-01-25) 25 January 2002 (age 22) 8 0 Morocco RS Berkane v.  Namibia, 31 October 2023
FW Kenza Chapelle (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 22) 3 0 France Strasbourg v.  Namibia, 31 October 2023
FW Sanaâ Mssoudy (1999-12-30) 30 December 1999 (age 24) 31 8 Morocco ASFAR v.  Namibia, 31 October 2023

Maissen Bourhrine (2003-11-28) 28 November 2003 (age 20) France Lyon Reserves v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21 February 2023

Previous squads

FIFA Women's World Cup
Africa Women Cup of Nations
UNAF Women's Tournament
Malta International Women's Football Tournament

Player records

*Active players in bold, statistics correct as of (22 February 2024).

Top goalscorers

# Player Year(s) Caps Goals
1 Ghizlane Chebbak 2007– 73 23
2 Ibtissam Jraïdi 2009– 60 16
3 Rosella Ayane 2021– 31 10
4 Sanaâ Mssoudy 2017– 34 8
5 Salma Amani 2012– 35 7
6 Imane Saoud 2021– 29 5
7 Fatima Tagnaout 2018– 46 6

Most capped players

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Ghizlane Chebbak 73 23 2007–

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
China 1991 did not enter
Sweden 1995
United States 1999 did not qualify
United States 2003
China 2007
Germany 2011
Canada 2015
France 2019
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Round of 16 4 2 0 2 2 10 –8
Total 1/9 4 2 0 2 2 10 –8
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics record
Appearances: 0 / 6
Year Result GP W D L GF GA GD
United States 1996 Did not enter
Australia 2000
Greece 2004
China 2008 Did not qualify
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016 Did not enter
Japan 2020 Did not qualify
France 2024 To be determined
United States 2028
Total - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Women's Africa Cup of Nations record
Appearances: 4 / 14
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA GD
1991 did not enter
1995
Nigeria 1998 Group stage 3 1 1 1 4 9 −5
South Africa 2000 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 13 −12
Nigeria 2002 did not qualify
South Africa 2004 did not enter
Nigeria 2006 did not qualify
Equatorial Guinea 2008
South Africa 2010
Equatorial Guinea 2012
Namibia 2014
Cameroon 2016
Ghana 2018
Republic of the Congo 2020 Cancelled
Morocco 2022 Runners-up 6 4 1 1 9 5 +4
Morocco 2024 Qualified as hosts
Total Runners-up 12 5 2 5 14 27 −13
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

All-Africa Games

All-Africa Games record
Appearances: 1
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Nigeria 2003 Did not enter
Algeria 2007
Mozambique 2011
Republic of the Congo 2015
Morocco 2019 Bronze Medal 3rd 5 4 0 1 12 7
Ghana 2023 Qualified
All Total Bronze Medal 2/6 5 4 0 1 12 7

Arab Women's Cup

Morocco lost to Algeria in the championship game of the first Arab Women's Cup in 2006 after defeating host Egypt 4–2 in the semi-finals.[36]

Arab Women's Cup record
Appearances: 1
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA GD
Egypt 2006 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 12 3 +9
Egypt 2021 did not enter
Total Runners-up 1/1 4 2 1 1 12 3 +9

UNAF Women's Tournament

UNAF Women's Tournament record
Appearances: 1
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA GD
Tunisia 2009 did not participate
Tunisia 2020 Champion 1st 4 4 0 0 11 2 +9
Total Champion 1/2 4 4 0 0 11 2 +9

Honours

Continental

Runners-up: (1) 2022

Regional

Champions: (1) 2020
Runners-up: (1) 2006
Runners-up: (1) 2021

International

Champions: (1) 2022

Awards

2nd place, silver medalist(s) Second place: 2022, 2023

All−time record against FIFA recognized nations

The list shown below shows the Morocco national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.
[38] *As of xxxxxx after match against xxxx.

Key
  Positive balance (more wins than losses)
  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
  Negative balance (more losses than wins)
Against Pld W D L GF GA GD Confederation
78 27 19 32 93 118

See also

Other football codes

References

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ Nowakowski, Wojciech (8 August 2023). "Morocco, Ireland, Portugal: All 8 Women's World Cup debutants and how far they made it". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Football row brings bitter Algeria-Morocco rivalry to forefront". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Arab Women's Football Cup - Egypt 2006". www.goalzz.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  5. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Morocco wins UNAF Women's Cup". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Tanzania emerged runners-up as Morocco win Unaf Women's Cup | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Wafcon returns with World Cup places at stake". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  8. ^ Kasraoui, Safaa. "Wafcon: Morocco Beats Botswana, Qualifies for Women World Cup for 1st Time". Morocco World News.
  9. ^ Mothoagae, Keba (13 July 2022). "Morocco knocks Botswana out to reach 2022 WAFCON semifinals, 2023 World Cup". SportsBrief – Sport news. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Morocco is the first Arab team to qualify for the Women's World Cup – News Unrolled". News Unrolled. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  11. ^ "StackPath". dailynewsegypt.com. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Morocco's women's national football team qualifies for the World Cup for the first time". Atalayar. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Morocco, Zambia qualify for Women's World Cup with WAFCON wins". ESPN.com. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  14. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Morocco stun holders Nigeria to reach TotalEnergies WAFCON final". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Morocco set up Wafcon final against South Africa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  16. ^ "South Africa beat Morocco to win first Wafcon title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ^ Kasraoui, Safaa. "Morocco Loses Wafcon Final To South Africa". Morocco World News.
  18. ^ "Germany beat Morocco's Atlas Lionesses 6-0 in national selection's first WC game". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  19. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Atlas Lionesses shellshocked after six-goal mauling by Germany". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Morocco stun higher-ranked Korea in historic upset". CAF. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Morocco make history, reach Women's World Cup knockout stage". CAF. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Historic: Morocco's Women football team qualify for Round of 16 after beating Colombia 1-0". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  23. ^ Bonesteel, Matt (3 August 2023). "Morocco is latest surprise in a World Cup that has been full of them". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  24. ^ "Women's World Cup: How Jamaica, South Africa and Morocco defied the odds to reach last 16". Sky Sports. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  25. ^ Smyth, Rob (8 August 2023). "France 4-0 Morocco: Women's World Cup last 16 – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  26. ^ Media, P. A. (12 October 2023). "Spain's World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda appointed Morocco manager". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Jorge Vilda appointed as manager of Morocco women's team after being sacked as Spain women's coach". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Morocco sweeps nominations in CAF awards for women's categories". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  29. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "What to know about Morocco's Atlas Lionesses". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Morocco's proud Lionesses fall short of Africa Cup of Nations glory". Arab News. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  31. ^ Staff Writer (14 August 2019). "FRMF Signs Contract with Puma after Adidas Deal Expiration". Morocco world news. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  32. ^ Hatim, Yahia (11 February 2020). "Morocco's Football Federation Hires Foreign Coaches, Local Assistants". Morocco World News.
  33. ^ Toutate, Issam (27 November 2020). "Reynald Pedros to Coach Moroccan Women's National Team". Morocco World News.
  34. ^ Ntungwabona, Ahmed (12 October 2023). "Jorge Vilda Takes the Helm: New Coach for Women's National Football Team". Morocco World News. p. 1. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  35. ^ CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying
  36. ^ "Championnat arabe dames: Le Maroc perd en finale face à l'Algérie". Le Matin (in French). 30 April 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  37. ^ "Africa – Women's Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  38. ^ "Morocco [Women] - Historical results". 12 October 2023.

External links