Rabat – Morocco’s women’s national football team will face Venezuela and France in two friendly matches on December 1 and December 5, respectively, as part of their preparations for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced the fixtures in a statement published on its official website on Wednesday, confirming that both matches will serve as preparation for the tournament, which will take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
The match against France will take place at the Stade Auguste-Bonal in Sochaux, France, on December 5, with kick-off scheduled for 9:10 p.m. local time. Meanwhile, the FRMF has yet to announce the venue and kick-off time for Morocco’s December 1 encounter against Venezuela.
The two friendlies will give the Atlas Lionesses an opportunity to test themselves against international opposition while continuing to improve their performance ahead of their second consecutive appearance at the Women’s World Cup.
The matches will also allow newly appointed head coach Eric Blahic to assess his players, experiment with tactical options, and identify areas that require improvement before the global competition.
How Morocco qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup
Morocco secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup following its performance at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which took place on home soil from July 26 to August 16.
The Atlas Lionesses booked their ticket to Brazil after defeating South Africa 2-1 in the quarterfinals on August 8 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Soukaina Ouzraoui opened the scoring for Morocco in the 31st minute before Hanane Ait El Haj doubled the lead in the 52nd minute. South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana reduced the deficit in the 67th minute, but Morocco maintained its advantage to secure victory.
The result sent Morocco into the semifinals and guaranteed its qualification for the World Cup, with the four WAFCON semifinalists earning direct places at the 2027 tournament.
Morocco eventually finished fourth in the continental competition after losing the third-place playoff against Algeria on penalties.
Despite missing out on a place on the podium, the Atlas Lionesses achieved their main objective of securing another World Cup appearance.
Morocco looks to build on its 2023 World Cup experience
The upcoming tournament in Brazil will mark Morocco’s second appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, following its historic debut in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
During that edition, Morocco became the first Arab national team to participate in the competition.
Despite suffering a 6-0 defeat against Germany in their opening match, the Atlas Lionesses recovered with two consecutive victories.
They defeated South Korea 1-0 before securing another 1-0 victory against Colombia, results that allowed them to advance to the round of 16.
Their campaign ended following a 4-0 defeat against France, but reaching the knockout stage in their first participation represented a historic achievement for Moroccan women’s football.
The December 5 friendly against France will therefore bring the two teams together again, giving Morocco an opportunity to measure its progress against an opponent it previously faced on the world stage.
Meanwhile, the encounter against Venezuela will offer a different challenge, allowing the Atlas Lionesses to gain experience against South American opposition ahead of the tournament in Brazil.
What comes next for the Atlas Lionesses?
The December friendlies will form part of Morocco’s preparations under new head coach Eric Blahic, who recently took charge of the national team.
Blahic has already overseen two friendly matches against Uzbekistan in October, with Morocco securing a 3-1 victory in the first encounter before playing out a goalless draw in the second.
The upcoming matches against Venezuela and France will provide further opportunities for the coaching staff to evaluate the squad and strengthen team coordination.
Following these encounters, Morocco will turn its attention to the official draw for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, scheduled for December 11 in Rio de Janeiro.
The draw will determine Morocco’s group-stage opponents and provide a clearer picture of the challenges awaiting the national team in Brazil.
The 2027 tournament will feature 32 national teams competing for the world title, with Brazil hosting the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Once the draw takes place, Morocco will be able to prepare more specifically for its opponents, with further training camps and international friendlies expected to play an important role in the team’s preparations.
With qualification already secured, the Atlas Lionesses will aim to build on their experience from the 2023 edition and deliver another competitive performance on the international stage.
