Morocco's men captivated the Arab world and global fans at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Now, the country's women's team seeks to achieve a similar feat.
Starting on July 20, when the FIFA Women's World Cup commences in Australia and New Zealand, the team will make history with their inaugural appearance at this level.
The ninth iteration of the tournament, which will run until Aug. 20, will be noteworthy for featuring 32 teams for the first time. Additionally, it will be hosted in the southern hemisphere for the first time, with cooler weather conditions anticipated compared to the northern hemisphere's summer months.
Morocco's women's team is on the upswing.
After defeating Botswana in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals, Morocco became the first Arab nation to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup. Having secured their spot by reaching the semifinals in front of their own fans, they went on to beat Nigeria in the semifinals. Sadly, they fell short of victory in the final by losing 2-1 to South Africa in front of a loud 51,000-strong audience in Rabat on July 23. Nevertheless, a second-place finish was a remarkable accomplishment.
Now they must demonstrate that they can compete on the grandest stage of all.
Morocco faces a challenging group, taking on Germany on July 24 in Melbourne, South Korea on July 30 in Adelaide, and Colombia on Aug. 3 in Perth.
Their journey to play against such esteemed opponents is all the more impressive considering that the Moroccan women's team had little to no success a few years ago.
Their record consists of two group stage eliminations in 1998 and 2002, and they had not even qualified for a single Africa Cup of Nations appearance from 2002 until they hosted the tournament in July of last year.
The current crop of Moroccan players have more than compensated for their underwhelming past performances by impressively advancing to the final, particularly the triumph over Nigeria, who are regarded as a global power in women's football.
When Reynald Pedros, a two-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach and FIFA Women's Football Coach of the Year in 2018, was assigned to lead the national team in 2021, it demonstrated how seriously the Royal Moroccan Football Federation regarded the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, as well as the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Pedros' appointment proved to be a stroke of genius as he enforced rigorous standards, developed tactical expertise and discipline, and, most significantly, instilled a sense of accomplishment in a group of players who had never won a title before.
"This is just the beginning of a new adventure," said the former France international following the final defeat to South Africa, before adding that the Atlas Lionesses "have shown people that Moroccan women's football brings happiness."
One of Morocco's standout players has been midfielder Ghizlane Chebbak of ASFAR club, who finished the Africa Cup of Nations as joint top scorer with three goals before being named the tournament's best player.
Chebbak, along with teammate Zainab Radwan, was also selected by CAF in the team of the tournament for their performances in reaching the final.
The 32-year-old has had to wait a long time to showcase her abilities on the global stage. Having now excelled at the continental level, the team captain will regard Australia and New Zealand 2023 as her final opportunity to exhibit her talents to the world. Chebbak remains her country's all-time top scorer and is recognized for her physical strength and graceful demeanor on the pitch.
Chebbak claims that she anticipated her country's advancement to the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar, but insists that Moroccan football is no longer