Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses: Rising Power Stumbles in Quest for African Glory

The Moroccan women’s football team has emerged as a rising power on the African continent, reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final twice: in 2022, against South Africa (1-2) and in the postponed 2024 edition against Nigeria (2-3). Despite this performance, the Atlas Lionesses struggle to realize their dream of winning the continental title. Several reasons explain these successive failures.

First, the lack of experience in decisive matches. The Moroccan players have difficulty managing the pressure during the finals. Against South Africa in 2022, the Moroccan women’s team was affected by the pressure of the public and the enthusiasm of the opponent, which led to a 2-1 defeat. Against Nigeria, the Lionesses put in a remarkable performance, but were unable to capitalize on the decisive opportunities, conceding a 3-2 defeat. The Moroccans will need to participate in more major competitions to develop their ability to handle the pressure.

Next, the strength of the opponents. South Africa and Nigeria are formidable opponents. The Nigerian team is the most titled on the continent with 10 trophies out of 13 editions. Facing such an experienced and tactical team is a real challenge. The Atlas Lionesses did not disappoint by scoring two goals, but the Nigerians were able to exploit their defensive mistakes at the end of the match to score the winning goal. In 2022, South Africa demonstrated physical and tactical superiority, managing to neutralize the Moroccan midfield.

Then, the tactical choices of the coaches. These positions are crucial in the finals. Reynald Pedros had failed to impose his style against the South Africans in 2022, lacking balance between attack and defense. On Saturday, in the final against Nigeria, the Atlas Lionesses, under the orders of Jorge Vilda, seduced in the first half before dropping in intensity due to a delay in the substitutions of certain attackers, which did not allow the team to react to the attacks of the opposing team.

The pressure of the public is a parameter not to be neglected in these failures. The fact that the finals in 2022 or the postponed 2024 edition were played in Morocco, put additional pressure on the Lionesses. The great expectation of the Moroccan public to see them win the title had a negative impact on the players’ performance. Furthermore, individual and defensive errors also contributed to these defeats in the CAN final. To change the situation, it is important to reorganize and improve the mental and tactical preparation of the Lionesses in order to crown their efforts with success in the next editions of the CAN.