Casablanca – Morocco’s women’s national team has advanced to the third round of the African qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games following Congo’s withdrawal from the competition.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced that FIFA had formally notified it of Morocco’s qualification after the Congolese Football Federation withdrew its women’s team from the qualifying campaign.
The decision means Morocco will progress without playing its scheduled second-round tie and will next face the winner of the two-legged meeting between Nigeria and Comoros.
The third round is scheduled to take place between February 23 and March 6, 2027. It will feature 16 teams competing over two legs for eight places in the fourth round. The qualifying campaign then continues through two further knockout stages, with only the final two teams earning Africa’s places at the 2028 Olympics.
Read more: Atlas Lionesses Hold 4th Spot in Africa Despite Drop to 64th Worldwide
The campaign is another opportunity to reach the women’s Olympic football tournament for the first time. The Atlas Lionesses came within one round of qualifying for Paris 2024, reaching the final African playoff against Zambia. Morocco won the first leg 2-1 away from home before Zambia overturned the deficit with a 2-0 victory after extra time in Rabat to claim the Olympic ticket.
The new campaign comes during a period of continued international progress for Moroccan women’s football. At the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, Morocco reached the semifinals and secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after defeating South Africa 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Their continental run eventually ended against Cameroon on penalties.
Qualification for Los Angeles would therefore mark another milestone for a national team that has already reached consecutive World Cups but is still chasing its first appearance in the Olympic women’s football tournament.
The Los Angeles 2028 women’s football tournament will also be the largest in Olympic history, expanding from 12 to 16 participating nations.
