Morocco Invests Heavily in Women’s Futsal, Aiming for Global Success

Sara Merino did not hesitate to seize the opportunity to become the coach of the Moroccan women’s futsal team, aware that the Moroccan Futsal Federation is the most committed on the continent. The Aragonese lives in Madrid, but has adapted to her new responsibilities. She works all week, from Sunday to Friday, at the Mohammed VI complex, the largest in Africa. She is amazed by the resources made available to create optimal working conditions. "They have incredible means, both human, material and technical. A player gets injured at 9 in the morning and we already have a medical report at 11 o’clock," she confides to Relevo.

Merino is aware of the challenge to be taken up with the Atlas Lionesses. "It’s like starting from scratch with players who for the most part have played football... Technically, there is a lot of level, because they are great players, but in terms of tactics, positioning and strategy, we have a lot of room for improvement," she explained. To strengthen the team, Sara Merino has recruited talents from Ceuta like Mallda Habib and Catalonia. "With the means we have, we can aspire to anything we want. We want to be African champions," she said.

To measure the real level of her team, the Aragonese agreed to have it participate in an international tournament in Croatia from January 6 to 8. Merino also welcomed the news of the holding in Morocco of the first women’s futsal World Cup in 2025. "It’s a historic event... There will be two African teams and we are already planning the next calls with the mission of competing and continuing to improve, but we have the challenge of winning the African Cup and participating in this first World Cup," she concluded.