Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses Aim for Historic First Women’s AFCON Title Against South Africa

The Moroccan women’s national football team will face their South African counterpart on Saturday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat. The Lionesses started the competition with determination and will, achieving a flawless run in the group stage. They got the better of Burkina Faso (1-0), won against Uganda (3-1), and then defeated Senegal (1-0), before beating Botswana in the quarter-finals (2-1). These performances allowed Morocco to qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time in its history, which will be held in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.

Their opponent in the final has also had a brilliant run, beating Nigeria (2-1), Burundi (3-1), Botswana (1-0) in the group stage, before defeating Tunisia (1-0) in the quarter-finals, which earned them a ticket to the World Cup. The final promises to be intense between the two teams who will not let anything slip. Morocco has an advantage, that of playing at home and in front of its supporters. But the Lionesses will have to show concentration, initiative and innovation to get there.

For the goalkeeper of the Moroccan women’s national team, Khadija Er-Rmichi, it would be interesting for Morocco to win this title, especially since the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has greatly contributed to the development of women’s football. "The final is won and not played. South Africa has shown a good level and the match will be played between two strong teams. We will defend our chances and play this match, like the other matches, with great concentration," she added.

For the national coach, Reynald Pedros, "South Africa is a good team and this match will be a good final. Every match has been difficult since the start of the AFCON. We hope to play well and win." He appreciated the support and accompaniment of the Moroccan supporters. "It’s an incomparable feeling when you feel all this enthusiasm, and the people who support us. I think the number of supporters was around 50,000 and honestly, it was great."