Moroccan footballer Ibtissam Jraidi, scorer against South Korea in Adelaide, Australia, July 30, 2023. HANNAH MCKAY / REUTERS
After a failed entry, Morocco won the first victory in its history in the final phase of the Women’s World Cup, which is held until August 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Sunday July 30 in Adelaide, striker Ibtissam Jraidi, who plays for Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia), allowed her team to beat South Korea (1-0) and keep all their chances of qualifying for the eighth of final. He will need to win against Colombia on Thursday. A team that dominates Group H with six points and created the sensation by bringing down Germany (2-1), one of the favorites of the competition, on the second day.
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The Atlas Lionesses, who are participating in the World Cup for the first time, had suffered a heavy defeat (0-6) against the Germans when they entered the competition on July 24. “They struggled to deal with the pressure and their emotions. We must not forget that Morocco is the first selection from the Arab world to participate in a World Cup, recalls Zayneb Amine Zouali, president of Tihad Athletic Sport, the oldest women’s club in the kingdom. We saw that this 6-0, they had not accepted it. »
Rapid progress
The Lionesses of the Atlas, whose workforce is made up of ten players born in Morocco and thirteen binationals, have nevertheless risen among the best African formations. Zayneb Amine Zouali has seen the rapid progress of Moroccan women in recent years: “The arrival of Frenchman Reynald Pedros, who had coached the Olympique Lyonnais women’s team for several years, one of the best in the world, was important. The president of the federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, had chosen him to qualify the selection for the World Cup. »
« There is clearly a political will for women’s football to develop, which was not obvious in a country where girls are not always welcome to play sport., adds former Moroccan international Abdeslam Ouaddou. Result: the Moroccan championship is now one of the few in Africa to enjoy professional status. A development that has convinced some players to stay in their country, such as goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi or the emblematic captain Ghizlane Chebbake, both under contract with AS FAR in Rabat, the most successful club in the kingdom. At the same time, more and more young girls joined amateur clubs.
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As for the supporters, more and more of them are following the matches of the women’s selection, vice-champion of Africa in 2022 during the African Cup of Nations (CAN) organized at home. Despite the time difference, the World galvanizes. “As we approach the match against Colombia, we feel a certain excitement and that people will be proud of their selection even in the event of elimination”confirms Nassim El Kerf, journalist at Desk.
