The Morocco women's national football team (Arabic: منتخب المغرب لكرة القدم للسيدات, French: Équipe du Maroc féminine de football) represents Morocco in international women's football and is managed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The team played its first international match in 1998, as part of the third Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | لبؤات أطلس (Lionesses of Atlas) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Royal Moroccan Football Federation | ||
| Head coach | Jorge Vilda | ||
| Captain | Ghizlane Chebbak | ||
| Most caps | Ghizlane Chebbak (73) | ||
| Top scorer | Ghizlane Chebbak (23) | ||
| Home stadium | Stade Moulay Hassan | ||
| FIFA code | MAR | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 58  2 (15 March 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 52 (July – August 2003) | ||
| Lowest | 83 (July 2019) | ||
| First international | |||
 South Africa 1–1 Morocco  (Pretoria, South Africa; 5 July 1998) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Morocco 8–0 Lebanon  (Alexandria, Egypt; 23 April 2006) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Nigeria 8–0 Morocco (Kaduna, Nigeria; 17 October 1998) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2023) | ||
| Best result | Round of 16 (2023) | ||
| Women's Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1998) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2022) | ||
They have participated in the FIFA Women's World Cup once, in 2023. They made history in the same tournament,[2] qualifying to the knock-out stages after placing second in the group stages before they fell short in the Round of 16 to France.
The traditional rivals of Morocco are mainly Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt.[3]
History
On 26 April 2006, Morocco made their first ever final in the 2006 Arab Women's Championship, defeating Egypt 4–2 in the semi-final. They lost the final 1–0 against Algeria.[4]
2020s
On 22 February 2020, Morocco lionesses managed to win the 2020 UNAF Women's Cup after defeating Algeria 2–0 to top the final standings.[5][6]
After hiatus and lack of achievement, the Women's AFCON was expanded to 12 teams, starting from 2020, but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the first edition was held in Morocco 2022 instead.[7] Using this home advantage, Morocco restarted its women's football structure, rebuilt its women's team that has long been neglected. With greater interest, Morocco was able to create history by reaching the semi-finals in their home soil.[8][9] With this achievement, Morocco made a history as the first Arab country to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup,[10][11] debuting in 2023.[12][13] Morocco went on to make another historic chapter as the first North African and Arab country to participate in the final of a continental tournament by beating African powerhouse and three-times defending champions Nigeria on penalties.[14][15] However, Morocco could not finish its dream in the final after losing to an experienced South African side, whose two goals crushed the Moroccan dream to win the title.[16][17]
In their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup, Morocco qualified to the Knockout-stages after placing second in their group, losing their first match 6–0 to Germany[18][19] and winning both their second and third match 1–0 respectively against South Korea and Colombia.[20][21][22] Thus, becoming the lowest ranked nation to qualify for the Knock-out stages.[23][24] They ended their journey in the Round of 16, after losing 4–0 to France.[25]
On 12 October 2023, Spanish coach Jorge Vilda was announced as the new head coach of the Moroccan women's team.[26][27] On 14 November 2023, Morocco was nominated for the 2023 Best African Women’s National Team of the Year by CAF.[28]
Nicknames
The Morocco women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Atlas Lionesses".[29][30]
Home stadium
Morocco's home matches were held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, managed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The stadium served as the home ground for AS FAR and frequently hosted matches for the men's team. Situated in Rabat, Morocco, this iconic venue has been the stage for numerous significant tournaments. Among these, the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations stands out as a significant event, where Morocco showcased their prowess by playing all their matches at this stadium and even reached the final. Though they lost to South Africa in the final, the stadium will forever be remembered for witnessing Morocco's historic qualification to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time.
Kit suppliers
Morocco's home colours are most red shirts and green shorts and socks, away colours are usually all white or all green.
| Kit provider | Period |
|---|---|
 Puma | 1998–2002 |
 Nike | 2003–2006 |
| Puma | 2007–2011 |
| Adidas | 2012–2019 |
| Puma | 2019–[31] |
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2023
Morocco| 1 July Friendly | Italy  | 0–0 | Morocco | Ferrara, Italy |
| 18:15 UTC+2 | Stadium: Paolo Mazza stadium Referee: Ioanna Allayitou (Cyprus) |
Morocco| 5 July International Friendly | Switzerland  | 0–0 | Morocco | Winterthur, Switzerland |
| Stadium: Schützenwiese Referee: Karoline Wacker (Germany) |
Morocco| 16 July International Friendly | Jamaica  | 1–0 | Morocco | Melbourne, Australia |
| Stadium: B.T. Connor Reserve |
Morocco| 24 July FIFA WC GS | Germany | 6–0 | Morocco | Melbourne, Australia |
| 18:30 UTC+10 | Report | Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium Attendance: 27,256 Referee: Tori Penso (United States) |
Morocco| 30 July FIFA WC GS | South Korea  | 0–1 | Morocco | Adelaide, Australia |
| 14:00 UTC+9:30 | Report | Jraïdi 6' | Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 12,886 Referee: Edina Alves Batista (Brazil) |
Colombia| 3 August FIFA WC GS | Morocco | 1–0 | Colombia | Perth, Australia |
| 18:00 UTC+8 | Lahmari 45+4' | Report | Stadium: Perth Rectangular Stadium Attendance: 17,342 Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi (Italy) |
Morocco| 8 August 2023 FIFA WC R16 | France  | 4–0 | Morocco | Adelaide, Australia |
| 20:30 UTC+9:30 | Report | Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 13,557 Referee: Tori Penso (United States) |
Zambia| 22 September International Friendly | Morocco | 0–2 | Zambia | Casablanca |
| 19:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium |
Zambia| 26 September International Friendly | Morocco | 2–6 | Zambia | Rabat |
| 19:00 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium |
Morocco| 26 October 2024 Olympic qualifying | Namibia  | 0–2 | Morocco | Marrakech |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Marrakech |
Namibia| 31 October 2024 Olympic qualifying | Morocco | 2–0 (4–0 agg.) | Namibia | Rabat |
| Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium | ||||
| Note: Morocco won 4–0 on aggregate. | ||||
Uganda| 1 December International Friendly | Morocco | 1–1 | Uganda | Casablanca |
| 19:00 UTC+1 |
| Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium Referee: Rokiatou Fofana (Mali) |
Uganda| 5 December International Friendly | Morocco | 3–0 | Uganda | Rabat |
| 19:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium |
2024
Morocco| 23 February 2024 2024 Olympic qualifying | Tunisia  | 1–2 | Morocco | Soliman, Tunisia |
| Stadium: Stade municipal de Soliman |
Tunisia| 28 February 2024 2024 Olympic qualifying | Morocco | 4–1 (6–2 agg.) | Tunisia | Rabat |
| Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium | |||
| Note: Morocco won 6–2 on aggregate. | ||||
Morocco| 5 April 2024 2024 Olympic qualifying | Zambia | 1–2 | Morocco | Ndola, Zambia |
| 17:00 UTC+2 |
| Stadium: Levy Mwanawasa Stadium |
Zambia| 9 April 2024 2024 Olympic qualifying | Morocco | 0–2 (a.e.t.) (2–3 agg.) | Zambia | Rabat |
| 20:00 UTC±0 | Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium Referee: Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) | |||
| Note: Zambia won 3–2 on aggregate. | ||||
sources: "Morocco Results and Fixtures". Soccerway.com. "Morocco – Soccer – Team Profile". globalsportsarchive.
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Jorge Vilda |
| Assistant coach | Vacant |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vacant |
| Fitness coach | Khadija Addal |
Manager history
Kelly Lindsey (2020)[32]
Reynald Pedros (2020–2023)[33]
Jorge Vilda (2023–present)[34]
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for 2024 CAF Women's Olympic qualifying game against Zambia on 5 and 9 April 2024.
Caps and goals accurate up to and including (5 December 2023).
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Khadija Er-Rmichi | 16 September 1989 | 60 | 0 | ASFAR |
| 22 | GK | Inès Arouaissa | 30 June 2001 | 1 | 0 | Cannes |
| GK | Zineb El Arari | 28 November 1999 | 0 | 0 | RS Berkane | |
| 2 | DF | Zineb Redouani | 12 June 2000 | 42 | 2 | ASFAR |
| 13 | DF | Sabah Seghir | 27 September 2000 | 22 | 1 | Basel |
| DF | Aziza Rabbah | 4 July 1986 | ASFAR | |||
| 21 | DF | Yasmin Mrabet | 8 August 1999 | 26 | 3 | Levante Las Planas |
| 3 | DF | Nouhaïla Benzina | 11 May 1998 | 21 | 0 | ASFAR |
| 4 | DF | Siham Boukhami | 1 February 1992 | 9 | 1 | ASFAR |
| 14 | DF | Maryame Atiq | 24 January 1998 | 3 | 0 | EdF Logroño |
| 17 | DF | Hanane Aït El Haj | 2 November 1994 | 55 | 1 | AS FAR |
| 10 | MF | Najat Badri | 19 May 1988 | 33 | 5 | ASFAR |
| 6 | MF | Élodie Nakkach | 20 January 1995 | 47 | 3 | Servette |
| 15 | MF | Inès Kbida | 10 May 2003 | Marseille | ||
| MF | Sarah Kassi | 9 September 2003 | 7 | 0 | Fleury | |
| MF | Salma Bouguerch | 4 November 1998 | Wydad Athletic Club | |||
| 16 | MF | Anissa Lahmari | 17 February 1997 | 6 | 1 | Levante Las Planas |
| 10 | MF | Inés Faddi | 3 April 2001 | 1 | 0 | Granada |
| 11 | MF | Fatima Tagnaout | 20 January 1999 | 43 | 4 | ASFAR |
| MF | Rania Boutiebi | 4 March 2004 |  Club Brugge | |||
| 7 | FW | Ghizlane Chebbak (captain) | 19 February 1991 | 71 | 23 | Levante Las Planas |
| 20 | FW | Imane Saoud | 6 June 2002 | 26 | 5 | Servette |
| 14 | FW | Yasmine Zouhir | 16 July 2005 | Roma | ||
| 8 | FW | Rosella Ayane | 16 March 1996 | 31 | 10 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
| 19 | FW | Sakina Ouzraoui | 29 August 2001 | 18 | 1 | Anderlecht |
| FW | Jade Nassi | 26 April 2003 | Reims | |||
| 9 | FW | Ibtissam Jraïdi | 9 December 1992 | 58 | 13 |  Al Ahli |
| FW | Safae Banouk | 31 January 2000 | ASFAR | |||
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up to the squad in the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Fatima Bambara | 11 May 2002 | Sporting Club Casablanca | v. Tunisia, 28 February 2024 | ||
| GK | Assia Zouhair | 30 April 1991 | 10 | 0 | CAK | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 |
| DF | Maissen Bourhrine | 16 October 2004 | Lyon Reserves | v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21 February 2023 | ||
| DF | Fatima El Ghazouani | 11 May 2005 | Quevilly-Rouen | v.  Switzerland, 5 July 2023 | ||
| DF | Rkia Mazrouai | 11 May 2002 | 2 | 0 | Gent | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| DF | Ghizlane Chhiri | 11 September 1994 | 7 | 0 | ASFAR | v. Namibia, 31 October 2023 |
| DF | Meryem Hajri | 14 September 1994 | 12 | 6 | Sporting Club Casablanca | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 |
| DF | Nesryne El Chad INJ | 13 March 2003 | 23 | 3 | Lille | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 |
| DF | Samia Fikri | 2 August 1999 | 3 | 0 | Montauban | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 |
| MF | Nour Imane Addi | 10 June 1997 |  Celtic | v. Tunisia, 28 February 2024 | ||
| MF | Djennah Chierif | 10 January 2006 |  Feyenoord | v. Tunisia, 28 February 2024 | ||
| MF | Samya Masnaoui | 16 September 2005 | Ajax Youth | v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21 February 2023 | ||
| MF | Kawtar Ait Omar | 19 February 2004 | Fortuna Sittard | v. Switzerland, 5 July 2023 | ||
| MF | Salma Amani | 28 November 1989 | 35 | 7 | Al-Ittihad | v. Zambia, 26 September 2023 |
| MF | Samya Hassani | 3 January 2000 | 7 | 3 | Telstar | v. Namibia, 31 October 2023 |
| MF | Ibtissam Bouharat | 2 January 1990 | 2 | 1 | KV Mechelen | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 |
| MF | Sana Daoudi | 12 March 1998 | Guingamp | v. Uganda, 5 December 2023 | ||
| FW | Anissa Belkasmi | 9 July 2002 | Orléans | v. Switzerland, 5 July 2023 | ||
| FW | Fatima Zohra Gharbi | 15 May 2001 | 3 | 0 | Europa | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| FW | Sofia Bouftini | 25 January 2002 | 8 | 0 | RS Berkane | v. Namibia, 31 October 2023 |
| FW | Kenza Chapelle | 1 July 2001 | 3 | 0 | Strasbourg | v. Namibia, 31 October 2023 |
| FW | Sanaâ Mssoudy | 30 December 1999 | 31 | 8 | ASFAR | v. Namibia, 31 October 2023 |
Previous squads
- FIFA Women's World Cup
- Africa Women Cup of Nations
- UNAF Women's Tournament
- Malta International Women's Football Tournament
Player records
*Active players in bold, statistics correct as of (22 February 2024).
Top goalscorers
| # | Player | Year(s) | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghizlane Chebbak | 2007– | 73 | 23 |
| 2 | Ibtissam Jraïdi | 2009– | 60 | 16 |
| 3 | Rosella Ayane | 2021– | 31 | 10 |
| 4 | Sanaâ Mssoudy | 2017– | 34 | 8 |
| 5 | Salma Amani | 2012– | 35 | 7 |
| 6 | Imane Saoud | 2021– | 29 | 5 |
| 7 | Fatima Tagnaout | 2018– | 46 | 6 |
Most capped players
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghizlane Chebbak | 73 | 23 | 2007– |
Competitive record
FIFA Women's World Cup
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | |
 1991 | did not enter | ||||||||
 1995 | |||||||||
| 1999 | did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2003 | |||||||||
| 2007 | |||||||||
| 2011 | |||||||||
 2015 | |||||||||
| 2019 | |||||||||
  2023 | Round of 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | –8 | |
| Total | 1/9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | –8 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Olympic Games
| Summer Olympics record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 0 / 6 | ||||||||
| Year | Result | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 1996 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 2000 | ||||||||
 2004 | ||||||||
| 2008 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2012 | ||||||||
 2016 | Did not enter | |||||||
 2020 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||
| 2028 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Women's Africa Cup of Nations
| Women's Africa Cup of Nations record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 4 / 14 | |||||||||
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | GD | |
 1991 | did not enter | ||||||||
| 1995 | |||||||||
| 1998 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | −5 | |
| 2000 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | |
| 2002 | did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2004 | did not enter | ||||||||
| 2006 | did not qualify | ||||||||
 2008 | |||||||||
| 2010 | |||||||||
| 2012 | |||||||||
| 2014 | |||||||||
 2016 | |||||||||
 2018 | |||||||||
 2020 | Cancelled | ||||||||
| 2022 | Runners-up | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | |
| 2024 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||||
| Total | Runners-up | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 27 | −13 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
All-Africa Games
| All-Africa Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 1 | |||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 2003 | Did not enter | ||||||||
 2007 | |||||||||
 2011 | |||||||||
| 2015 | |||||||||
| 2019 | Bronze Medal | 3rd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | |
| 2023 | Qualified | ||||||||
| All Total | Bronze Medal | 2/6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | |
Arab Women's Cup
Morocco lost to Algeria in the championship game of the first Arab Women's Cup in 2006 after defeating host Egypt 4–2 in the semi-finals.[35]
| Arab Women's Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 1 | |||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
 2006 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 |
| 2021 | did not enter | ||||||||
| Total | Runners-up | 1/1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 |
UNAF Women's Tournament
| UNAF Women's Tournament record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 1 | |||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 2009 | did not participate | ||||||||
| 2020 | Champion | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 |
| Total | Champion | 1/2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 |
Honours
Continental
Runners-up: (1) 2022
Regional
Champions: (1) 2020
- Runners-up: (1) 2006
- Runners-up: (1) 2021
International
- Champions: (1) 2022
Awards
Second place: 2022, 2023
All−time record against FIFA recognized nations
The list shown below shows the Morocco national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.
[37]*As of xxxxxx after match against xxxx.
- Key
| Against | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Confederation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 27 | 19 | 32 | 93 | 118 | |||
See also
- Sport in Morocco
- Football in Morocco
- Women's football in Morocco
- Football in Morocco
- Morocco women's national under-17 football team
- Morocco women's national under-20 football team
- Cultural significance of the Atlas lion
- Morocco national football team
- Morocco A' national football team
- Morocco national under-23 football team
- Morocco national under-20 football team
- Morocco national under-17 football team
Other football codes
References
Notes
Citations
External links
- Official website only (in Arabic and French)
- Morocco profile at FIFA.com