Thursday 10 October 2024

Thursday 10 October 2024

Moroccan Women’s Football Has “A Bright and Promising Future” – New Women’s Head Coach

Moroccan women’s football has “a bright and promising future ahead of it,” assured the new coach of the Moroccan women’s national team, Spaniard Jorge Vilda Rodriguez, on Sunday in Sale.

“I am honored by the trust placed in me by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and to continue the work accomplished by my predecessor Reynald Pedros and his staff with the Moroccan women’s national team since 2021,” which culminated in a qualification for the Round of 16 at the last World Cup, he said at a press conference held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex to present the new coach of the Atlas Lionesses.

“It’s a challenge we’re delighted to take up with great enthusiasm and commitment,” he continued, expressing his ambition to build a strong, competitive national team.

“The sports facilities in Morocco, notably the Mohammed VI Football Complex, are world-class,” he emphasized, noting his desire to implement a playing philosophy that would suit the Atlas Lionesses.

“I’ve always admired the talent and passion of Moroccan footballers,” he added, noting that “being part of the FRMF project is a responsibility I’ve accepted with great humility.”

According to him, the players on the national team represent not only their country, but “all the women who struggle to achieve their dreams.”

Referring to his career in Spain, he said he had spent some unforgettable moments with the Spanish women’s team, which won the last FIFA World Cup, jointly organized by Australia and New Zealand.

For his part, FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa affirmed that the former Moroccan women’s national team staff had done a good job, culminating in qualification for the Round of 16 at the last World Cup.

After noting that the ambition of Morocco, HM King Mohammed VI, and all Moroccans is to play decisive roles in world competitions, particularly the World Cup, he said that national football was on a fine dynamic.

“Qualifying for a World Cup and reaching the Round of 16 is now a thing of the past. Today, national teams such as the futsal team are in the running for a world title,” he continued.

“Our ambition is realistic, simple, and clear: to move forward and do better,” he remarked, pointing out that the next milestones for the Atlas Lionesses will be the next Africa Cup of Nations, to be held in Morocco in 2024, and the World Cup in 2027.

Related news

Morocco’s women football team has maintained its 59th place in the FIFA rankings published on Friday, and remains in the African top 3.

Absent from the last 2024 Olympic Games in Paris which factores in the FIFA rankings, the Atlas Lionesses still occupy third place at continental level, behind South Africa (50th) and Nigeria (36th).

Additionally, the U.S. team are back in the lead (+4) thanks to their victory at the Olympic Games, ahead of England (+1) and Spain who fell back to 3rd place.

The next FIFA ranking of women’s teams will be released on December 20.

Morocco will play in Group C at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, following the draw carried out on Wednesday in Bogotá.

Morocco will play reigning world champions Spain, joint-record champions USA and Paraguay in the World Cup, scheduled for August 31 to September 22 in Colombia.

Last January, the U20 women’s national football team achieved a historic qualification for the U20 World Cup.

Despite their defeat in the second-leg game of the final round of the African qualifiers against Ethiopia, the Moroccan team clinched their ticket to Colombia 2024 thanks their precious victory (2-0) in the first leg, at the Abdi El stadium in El Jadida.

Groups:

Group A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico

Group B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji

Group C: Spain, United States, Paraguay, Morocco

Group D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, Republic of Korea

Group E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria

Group F: North Korea, Argentina, Costa Rica, Netherlands

The Moroccan U-17 women’s football team has qualified for the final round of the African qualifiers for the 2024 World Cup, after a comprehensive 4-0 victory over its Algerian counterpart on Friday in Algiers, in the second leg of the third and penultimate round of the qualifiers.

Morocco’s goals were scored by C.Boughazi (6th), L.M.Jamai (62nd, 79th) and D.Haizoun (76th).

In the first leg, the Moroccan team won 4-0.

The African teams qualifying for the U-17 Women’s World Cup will be announced at the end of the fourth and final round in June.

The U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 is scheduled to take place from October 16 to November 3 in the Dominican Republic.
 

Morocco women’s national football team trashed, here Wednesday, Tunisia 4-1, in the second leg of the third and penultimate preliminary round of the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.

Fatima Tagnaout (11th) and Ibtissam Jraidi (16th, 20th and 22nd) scored for the Atlas Lionesses, while Salma Zemzem (58th) scored the only goal for the Tunisians.

In the first leg, held last Friday in Tunis, Morocco bested Tunisia 2-1.

During the fourth and final round of 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers, Morocco will play Zambia to clinch their ticket for the 2024 Olympics as one of the two representatives of Africa.

Morocco U-17 women’s football team trashed Nigeria 11-0, Monday at the Berkane municipal stadium, in the first leg of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers (Africa zone).

Moroccan goals were scored by Ouafae Bentahri (19th), Salma Senhaji (26th), Awatif El Ghazouani (31st), Lina Jamai Mokhtari (32nd, 34th, 42nd, 45th+1, 90th+4), Ines Aboucharif (51st), Siham Bouhouch (55th) and Sara Dofry (90th).

The second-leg game will take place on Friday at the Berkane municipal stadium.

Morocco’s U20 women’s football team qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024 in Colombia, despite losing (0-1) to its Ethiopian counterpart on Sunday at the Abebe Bikila stadium in Addis Ababa, in the second leg of the fourth and final round of African qualifiers for the World Cup, scheduled for August 31 to September 22.

Morocco beat Ethiopia 2-0 in the first leg, played last Saturday at the El Abdi stadium in El Jadida.

This is the first World Cup qualification for the national U20 women’s team.