Jorge Vilda Names Morocco Women’s Squad for 2024 WAFCON Campaign

Marrakech – Jorge Vilda, head coach of Morocco’s women’s national football team, has unveiled his final squad for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024. The announcement came during a press conference held Tuesday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé.

The Atlas Lionesses, silver medalists in the 2022 continental tournament, will compete in Group A alongside Zambia, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As hosts, Morocco will play the opening match against Zambia at the recently inaugurated Olympic Stadium in Rabat on July 5.

The tournament, scheduled to run from July 5-26 across Morocco, features 12 teams divided into three groups. Group B includes Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana, while Group C comprises South Africa, Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania.

Vilda’s 26-player squad features a mix of domestic and foreign-based talent. The team is anchored by key players, including captain Ghizlane Chebbak (Levante/Spain), goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS FAR), and forward Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR).

The squad selection follows Morocco’s recent preparation matches against Cape Verde and Malawi, which ended in 1-0 and 4-1 victories, respectively.

Full squad list

Goalkeepers: Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS FAR), Ines Arouaissa (Saint Malo/France), Fatima Ezzahra El Jabraoui (Wydad Casablanca), Hind Hasnaoui (AS FAR)

Defenders: Hanane Ait Elhaj (Valencia CF/Spain), Zineb Redouani (AS FAR), Sabah Seghir (FC Basel/Switzerland), Aziza Rabbah (AS FAR), Nouhaila Benzina (AS FAR), Siham Boukhami (AS FAR), Yasmin Mrabet (Valencia CF/Spain), Soumia Hady (Wydad Casablanca)

Midfielders: Ghizlane Chebbak (Levante/Spain), Najat Badri (AS FAR), Elodie Nakkach (Al Ahly/Saudi Arabia), Salma Bouguerch (Wydad Casablanca), Anissa Lahmari (Levante/Spain), Sarah Kassi (Fleury 91/France), Imène El Ghazouani (Servette FC/Switzerland), Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR)

Forwards: Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR), Sakina Ouzraoui Diki (UD Tenerife), Rania Boutiebi (Bruges/Belgium), Imane Saoud (Servette FC/Switzerland), Ibtissam Jraidi (Al Ahly/Saudi Arabia), Kenza Chapelle (Strasbourg/France)

‘Our players will give everything’

Vilda, who led Spain to the 2023 Women’s World Cup title before taking charge of Morocco last November, spoke about his squad in a recent interview with CAFOnline. He noted the development of women’s football across Africa.

“African football has immense potential,” Vilda stated. “Everything is more and more balanced. The teams are preparing better, the national competitions are improving, the teams have better technical staff who help them to progress. We see more organized teams and, above all, with enormous physical potential.”

The 43-year-old coach discussed his approach to building team cohesion despite having players from various leagues. “The players are the ones who make things easy, because they arrive with a total commitment and commitment to the jersey, the coat of arms, the country. They come very motivated.”

Regarding Group A, Vilda acknowledged the challenge ahead. “I think it’s the toughest group, because it’s very balanced. We know Zambia well, we faced each other in Olympic qualifying. It’s a team that has progressed a lot in the last year.”

Rather than feeling pressure as tournament hosts and 2022 runners-up, Vilda sees opportunity. “More than pressure, it’s above all a great desire to do well. Of course, we put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves on a daily basis to work well. But it’s not a negative pressure: it’s a privilege to have that pressure.”

His message to Moroccan fans was clear: “We are not going to disappoint them. What I can guarantee 100% is that our players will give everything, fight for every ball, not just to win games, but for every action. That’s the identity of this Moroccan team.”