Doha – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has exempted Morocco’s U-20 women’s national team from participating in the first round of African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA Women’s World Cup, set to take place in Poland.
In the second round, Morocco will face the winner of the match between Gambia and Ivory Coast. The first leg will be played away from Morocco, with the return leg scheduled to be held on home soil.
According to the draw conducted on Thursday at CAF headquarters in Cairo, should Morocco’s U-20 women’s team advance to the third round, they will meet the winner of the Mali versus Democratic Republic of Congo fixture.
The draw also determined that if the Moroccan team reaches the fourth and final round, they will compete against the winner of a complex qualification path involving Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, and Guinea.
In related women’s football news, Morocco’s senior national team has dropped three places in the latest FIFA rankings released on Friday. The team now ranks 61st globally, down from their previous position of 59th in August.
This decline follows two friendly matches played in Tetouan against Botswana and Mali during the November international window.
Despite the global ranking decline, Morocco maintains its position as Africa’s third-ranked team, behind Nigeria and South Africa.
The team is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host in summer 2025 following CAF’s decision to postpone the tournament by one year.
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