Morocco’s Women’s Team Makes World Cup Debut, Carrying Arab Nations’ Hopes

Can the Lionesses of the Atlas emulate the Atlas Lions who made a historic breakthrough at the 2022 Qatar World Cup? Arab nations are pinning their hopes on the Moroccan women’s football team. Placed in group H, the Lionesses of the Atlas will successively face Germany, the 2022 European Championship finalist, on July 24 in Melbourne, the Republic of Korea on July 30 in Adelaide and Colombia on August 3 in Perth.

After their victory in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against Botswana, Morocco became the first Arab country in history to participate in the tournament. The Moroccans had then beaten Nigeria in the semi-finals (1-1, 5-4 on penalties) of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, before losing in the final against South Africa (2-1).

The women’s football team owes its success to French coach Reynald Pedros, hired in November 2020. The Lionesses of the Atlas have scored nine goals and conceded only five, including just one in the group stage of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. With talented players like Chebbak, Ghizlane and Imane Saoud, the Lionesses of the Atlas will certainly make football lovers dream.