Tottenham’s Rosella Ayane Reveals Personal Motivation Behind Morocco World Cup Choice

Rosella Ayane could have played for Scotland, where her mother is from, but she chose her father’s country, Morocco. He passed away when she was 13 years old. "I have so many good memories of Morocco, and the reason I chose Morocco is because of my father. I played football with him as a child. We watched Match of the Day together. We both asked mum if we could have Sky Sports to watch football at the weekend, but she always said no. When I think of football, I think of my father. Don’t take it the wrong way, mum!" said the Lioness of the Atlas in an interview with her mother Sheila as part of Home Is Where The Heart Is, a new Versus series exploring the diaspora experience in football.

Today, the one who scored the goal that qualified Morocco for the Women’s World Cup says she is proud to represent her father’s country. Especially the feeling she gets when the national anthem is played or she wears the jersey. "Every time I hear the national anthem, it’s quite emotional and I have to hold back, and honestly, I’m not too emotional. But something strikes me every time I hear that piece of music. [...] I feel an indescribable feeling when I wear this jersey. It’s that feeling that really connects me to my father. In fact, I represent him every time I wear this jersey." She who played for England in the youth categories remembers: "When I put on this jersey and made my debut, I felt at home."

With her teammates, Rosella promises to put on a good show at the women’s World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand. "I’m very competitive. I’m not just going to participate. I’m not going because Morocco was a lucky number drawn out of a hat, we’ve worked so hard to get here. I want to show everyone that we are capable of competing on the biggest stage in the world, and I think everyone on our team will sing the same song," promises the 27-year-old player.