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Morocco has unveiled its final squad list for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will kick off in New Zealand and Australia on July 20.
The Atlas Lionesses coach Reynald Pedros shared his final list for the competition today, including 23 football players.
On the goalkeeping side, Pedros called up Arouaissa Ines, Errmichi Khadija, and Zouhair Assia.
In the midfield, the coach selected Bddri Najta, Chebbak Ghizlane, Kassi Sarah, Lahmari Anissa, and Nakkash Elodie.
Defenders include several faces Moroccan fans cherished during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last year, including Mrabet Yassmine. In addition to Yassmine, the team’s defense department also includes Aie El Haj Hanane, Benzina Nouhaila, El Chad Nisryne, Marzouki Rkia, Redouani Zineb, and Seghir Sabah.
Meanwhile, the team’s forward line is filled with rising stars Ayanwe Rosella and Tagnaouti Fatima, alongside Chapelle Kenza, Gharbi Fatima, Jraidi Ibtissame, Ouazraoui Diki Sakina, Amani Salma, and Bouftini Sofia.
The Atlas Lionesses’ has been garnering international headlines as this is the team’s first-ever participation in the World Cup. In a story on the historical significance of the Moroccan female team’s coming journey at the World Cup, the Associated Press described the Lionesses’ debut on the world stage as an inspiration for girls and society at large in the Arab world.
“After years largely in the margins, Moroccan women’s soccer is gaining new ground at home and beyond, capturing the imagination of some girls like Aliae, winning the hearts and minds of more parents, and chipping away at a traditional view of soccer as a men’s game,” the Associated Press said.
Moroccans are excited about the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which comes at a time when Moroccan football is in vogue on the African continent and worldwide. The latest source of pride for fans of Moroccan football is Morocco’s U23 team, which clinched the AFCON 2023 trophy over the weekend.
The win came on the still ecstatic heels of Morocco’s memorable participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw the North African country’s Atlas Lions defy all odds and make history by becoming the first Arab and African national team to qualify for the semi-finals of international football’s most prestigious tournament.
