Morocco will debut at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand having seen a meteoric rise in the last few years, fuelled by a heavy investment by officials in the team.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Morocco earned their historic place at the World Cup having finished as runners-up at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations they hosted in July last year. They lost 2-1 to South Africa in the final but the competition was still a triumph for the country, who had not qualified for the continental event in 22 years before that. The top four teams in that competition earned a place at the World Cup.
WORLD CUP GROUP H
Fixtures (kick-offs SA time):
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July 24 v Germany (10h30)
July 30 v South Korea (06h30)
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August 3 v Colombia (12h00)
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WORLD CUP RECORD
1991-2019: Did not qualify
THE COACH
Reynald Petros has been in charge of the side since 2020, tasked specifically with quickly turning them into a team that could qualify for a major global event. He had spent two years at the successful Lyon club, where he led them to both domestic and continental success with back-to-back Uefa Women’s Champions League title. He certainly has pedigree. The 51-year-old is a former player who turned out for the likes of Marseille, Napoli and Lyon, though his best years were spent at Nantes. He played 25 times for the French national team between 1993-96.
THE CAPTAIN
Ghizlane Chebbak is a nuggety midfielder and one of the most experienced players in the squad. She has great football intelligence and an excellent ’engine’ as she marshals the centre of the park. The 32-year-old has been a vital cog in the side in the last five or so years, when the rise in the team started, and was also a key part of the AS FAR team that won the CAF Women’s Champions League in 2022.
STAR PLAYER
Playmaker Rosella Ayane was born in England to a Moroccan father and Scottish mother, and currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur having come through the development ranks at Chelsea, where she was ultimately released after a handful of first team games. The 27-year-old is the creative focal-point of the Moroccan side having made her debut in 2021, and much of their attacking play will run through her. She is also a threat in front of goal.
THEIR PROSPECTS
Morocco may be debutants at this level and it is sure to be a massive step up for then, but of the four African nations heading Down Under, they probably have the kindest draw in the pool stages.
Germany are the top team in the group, but as Zambia showed just last Friday, they are fallible. South Korea are also a very good team and will be tricky, but there should be the feeling Morocco can get something out of Colombia.
The key game could well be the South Korea one, and will victory would see a long shot, Morocco have to believe.
They have a successful coach and one who knows how to create winning teams, even if the level of player at his disposal is below what he was used to with Lyon. He will have a solid plan for them.
Morocco’s last two friendlies have been 0-0 draws with Italy and Switzerland and those perhaps illustrate their pros and cons.
They are an organised, defensively sound team, but lack goals and the ability to break down good teams. If you go back to April, where they lost to Czech Republic (0-2) and Romania (0-1), they have actually not scored in any of their last four international matches.
THEIR SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ines Arouaissa (AS Cannes), Khadija Errmichi (AS FAR), Assia Zouhair (SCCM)
Defenders: Hanane Ait El Haj (AS FAR), Nouhaila Benzina (AS FAR), Nesryne El Chad (Lille), Rkia Mazrouai (Sporting de Charlerois), Yasmin Mrabet (FC Levante Las Planas), Zineb Redouani (AS FAR), Sabah Seghir (Napoli)
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Midfielders: Ghizlane Chebbak (AS FAR), Najat Badri (AS FAR), Anissa Lahmari (Guingamp), Sarah Kassi (Fleury), Elodie Nakkach (Servette Geneva)
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Forwards: Salma Amani (FC Metz), Rosella Ayane (Tottenham), Sofia Bouftini (RS Berkane), Kenza Chapelle (FC Nantes), Fatima Gharbi (CE Europa), Ibtissam Jraidi (Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club), Sakina Ouzraoui Diki (Club Bruges), Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR)
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