Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
The young Atlas Lionesses made history on Friday by beating Costa Rica 3–1 and qualifying for the knockout stage of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time. Despite the early setbacks in the tournament, Anwar Mghinia, the coach, never lost faith in his players.
After losing to Brazil and Italy in their first two group matches, the coach didn’t let his players down again. It all paid off after the third group match. Speaking after the win he said, “I always believed in the technical, tactical and physical abilities of the players.”
He also pointed out that the team has ten players born in 2009, playing against opponents who are mostly a year older. sHe has full trust in these young talents, and sees this qualification as part of the good momentum in Moroccan football.
Historic qualification for the knockout stage
Morocco finished third in Group A with three points, ahead of Costa Rica and one of the four best third-placed teams that qualified for the Round of 16. Maysa Baha scored two goals in the 4th and 39th minutes and the third goal was an own goal by Costa Rica in the 77th minute.
The midfield and defense were key in creating chances and keeping calm, pressing high to limit Costa Rica’s chances and keeping control even after Costa Rica scored in the 95th minute.
This is the first time the U17 women’s national team qualifies for the knockout stage of a World Cup and it’s the first time Morocco hosts a FIFA tournament.
With four goals scored and seven conceded, Morocco outperformed teams like Ecuador and the Netherlands and got their ticket to the Round of 16. This is a big step for the women’s football development program in Morocco, which qualified for the U17 World Cup for the first time in 2022, and now qualifies for the knockout stage as hosts in 2025.
Morocco will now wait for the draw to know their opponent in the Round of 16 and hope that this young and determined team can continue their historic run in the tournament.
And as the team prepares for the next task, one thing is very clear: the coach believes in his players, and if his confidence is anything to go by, we all have every reason to believe in them too.
