Morocco prepare to enter their first Women's World Cup this summer as the 72nd ranked team in the world, the lowest within their group of Columbia, Germany and South Korea.
The Morocco Lionesses played their first international match in 1998, which was part of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations which they departed in the group stages. To better this, their recent campaign in 2022 saw them lose out in the final to South Africa and they will now be hosts for the 2024 competition.
After issues to do with the Covid-19 pandemic, this 2022 campaign was also held in Morocco, which was the kick-start that the country needed for their women's side. They decided to rebuild their structure and team to start a new chapter for their countries legacy and achievements.
Now, Morocco is the first Arab country to qualify for the Women's World Cup, creating history for their country.
The player to look out for in this squad is Ghizlane Chebbak. The striker has won the Player of the Year award in Morocco five times and is their all-time top goalscorer with 21 goals. Another familiar face could be Rosella Ayane from Tottenham Hotspur, who chose to change her nation from England to Morocco in 2021.
Not only are Morocco searching for success on the pitch this campaign, but they are also making history with the first player to wear a hijab at the Women's World Cup. The great step forward from Nouhaila Benzina comes after FIFA banned hijabs in 2007 because of 'safety risks' however they turned this over seven years later. Despite this, certain countries still ban players from wearing them. This move is a massive milestone for the sport and for overcoming moral obstacles and hopefully other nations can follow.
In terms of making their way through this competition, it is going to be difficult for Morocco to come against their group competitors due to being slightly less experienced. This competition will be a great experience for the team to compete in a new major tournament and gain that experience to keep building this new regrowth that they are working towards. If Morocco do really show up for their games, however, they could cause an upset against teams such as Columbia and South Korea.
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