Morocco’s U17 women’s team made history on Friday as they won 3-1 against Costa Rica and progressed to the knockout stage of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup for the first time.
The team finished a respectable third in Group A with 3 points, ahead of Costa Rica. Maysa Baha truly led from the front with 2 goals in the 4th and 39th minutes and Morocco’s third came from a bit of a surprise with a 77th-minute own goal from the Costa Rican side.
Morocco’s midfield and defense had a good day out as they worked together to create the openings for the team to score. Pressing high up the pitch put pressure on Costa Rica, and when the ball did get into the final third, Morocco’s composure paid off in a big way, with the team ending up with a lead that couldn’t be clawed back even after Costa Rica scored in the 95th minute.
What worked for the Atlas Lionesses
The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco features 24 teams spread across 6 groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying directly. Plus, the 4 best third-placed sides qualify for the knockout stages.
With 4 goals scored and 7 conceded, Morocco outscored Ecuador and the Netherlands in the process, earning them their ticket to the Round of 16
The tournament marks a milestone for Morocco who are this year hosting their first-ever FIFA tournament and also the first time that their U17 women’s side has ever made it past the group stages of a World Cup.
Making it to the knockout stage brings huge kudos to Morocco’s women’s football development program. Qualifying for the U-17 World Cup for the first time in 2022, and now reaching the Round of 16 as hosts in 2025, shows just how far the country has come in a short time.
Now it’s on to the next stage. Morocco will need to wait and see who their opponents are going to be, with the outcome very much still to be decided.
