” Cheer ! We are super proud. It’s their first World Cup experience and getting to this level, hats off! Exclaims Kenza, a 47-year-old Rabatie met a few minutes after the end of the match. Six months after the epic of its men’s team in Qatar, Morocco celebrated another historic feat on Thursday after the qualification of the Atlas Lionesses in the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup, for their first participation in the competition. To everyone’s surprise, the Moroccans clinched their ticket to the round of 16 after beating Colombia (1-0), the other team qualified in Group H. Trained by the former French international Reynald Pedros, they will challenge the Françaises by Hervé Renard on Tuesday in Adelaide (Australia).
An unprecedented poster at this level of the competition which promises to be a remake of the semi-final lost in December during the Men’s World Cup in Qatar by the Atlas Lions against the Blues (0-2). “We wish them great courage against the French national team. It goes beyond football, it becomes revenge,” anticipates Hajar Jabrane, 23. Outside the sports field, this match is part of a context of diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Paris, fueled by several bones of contention (Western Sahara, Pegasus affair, visas, etc.).
“Good luck, we hope they will win,” said Nassiba, 42, another resident of Rabat. Women’s football is a booming discipline in Morocco after the implementation in 2020 of a development strategy by the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) which financially supports women’s clubs. As of 2021, the country has had two professional divisions, with clubs — 42 in total — committing to under-17 and under-15 teams. Witness the recent course of the Atlas Lionesses during the last African Cup (CAN) organized in Morocco in July 2022 in full stadiums. Despite a defeat in the final against South Africa (2-1), the Moroccans managed to create real enthusiasm for women’s football in a football-loving kingdom.
