Morocco women's national under-20 football team

Last updated
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco women's U-20
Nickname(s) Atlas Lionesses
Association Royal Moroccan Football Federation
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Head coach Jorge Vilda
FIFA code MAR
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First colours
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Second colours
African U-20 World Cup qualification
Appearances8 (first in 2002 )
Best resultChampions (2024)
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2024 )
Best resultGroup stage (2024)

The Morocco women's national under-20 football team, nicknamed the Atlas Lionesses, represents Morocco in international youth women's football competitions. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior women's national team. The team competes in a variety of competitions, including the biennial FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and African U-20 Women's World Cup qualification, which is the top competitions for this age group.

Contents

The team has qualified for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to represent the country for the first time in this competition. The team won the bronze medal in the women's tournament at the 2019 African Games held in Rabat, Morocco. [1] [2]

History

Beginnings

The under-20 category of the women's national team emerged in the early 2000s, with Morocco's participation in the African qualifying tournament for the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Canada. The Moroccan team progressed to the qualifying semi-finals following the withdrawals of Gambia and Niger. However, unable to face Nigeria, Morocco was forced to forfeit the match. In 2004, Morocco played its first official matches in the qualification rounds for the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship. The team faced Equatorial Guinea in the first round, resulting in a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Morocco was defeated in the second leg by a score of 1-0, thus ending their campaign. Subsequently, the national team remained absent from competitions for nearly eight years.

Tunisia the black beast of Morocco (2012-2014)

During the qualifications for the 2012 World Cup in Japan, the Moroccan national team, led by Abid Oubenaissa, faced their Tunisian counterparts. Morocco was eliminated in the first round of the competition. Although they secured a 1-0 victory in the second leg in Tunisia on March 2, 2012, their efforts were in vain as the first leg had ended with a decisive 5-0 victory for Tunisia. The match, which took place at the Stade municipal in Kenitra on February 18, 2012, saw Amel Majri, who would later represent the France national team, score a double for Tunisia. The rivalry continued in 2013 when Morocco and Tunisia met again in the first round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Canada. This time, Tunisia emerged victorious in both legs. They secured a 4-0 win in Morocco during the first leg on October 26, 2013, and followed it up with a 4-1 victory in Tunisia on November 8, 2013.

Morocco suffers the law of Nigeria (2017)

The national team actively participated in the qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup in France. Having been exempted from the preliminary round, Morocco, featuring talented players such as Fatima Tagnaout and Sanaâ Mssoudy, faced Senegal in the first round. Despite a 2-1 loss in the second leg held in Dakar on September 30, 2017, the Moroccans capitalized on their 2-0 victory in the first leg in Salé on September 16, 2017, thanks to goals from Rania Salmi and Sanaâ Mssoudy. In the second round, Morocco encountered Nigeria. The first leg took place in Salé on November 5, 2022, resulting in a draw. Nouhaila Sedki scored the Moroccan goal during the match.

Encouraging results (2019)

During the summer of 2019, Morocco was chosen to host the 2019 African Games. Under the guidance of Lamia Boumehdi, the national team achieved success in the group stage by winning all three matches. On August 17, 2019, they secured a 3-2 victory against Algeria, followed by a 2-0 win against Equatorial Guinea and a 4-1 triumph against Mali. In the semi-finals, Morocco faced Cameroon and suffered a 3-1 defeat, which ended their pursuit of the gold medal. However, in the third-place match against Algeria in Sala on August 28, 2019, the team rallied and emerged victorious, earning the bronze medal. Fatima Ezzahra Akif and her teammates showcased their skills and determination throughout the tournament. Later in October 2019, Morocco participated in the UNAF U-20 Women's Tournament held in Tangier. Zineb Redouani and her teammates performed exceptionally well, winning all three matches. They secured a 2-1 victory against Burkina Faso, a 3-1 win against Algeria, and a 2-0 triumph against Tunisia, ultimately clinching the tournament trophy.

Morocco and the covid-19 pandemic

Under the leadership of Lamia Boumehdi, the Moroccan team actively participated in the qualifying matches for the 2020 World Cup in Costa Rica. They began their campaign with a double confrontation against Egypt. In an impressive display of skill and determination, Morocco emerged victorious in both legs, securing a 5-3 win in Cairo on January 17, 2020, and a 3-1 victory in Salé on February 2, 2020. The team was set to face their Algerian counterparts in the next round. However, due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA made the decision to cancel the competition. Consequently, the World Cup was postponed for a year, and the teams had to wait for the rescheduled qualifiers to continue their journey.

Defeat on the edge of the Atlas Lioncelles (2022)

After being exempted from the first round, Morocco commenced their preparations for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup by facing Benin. Although the second leg in Rabat on October 9, 2021, ended in a draw, Morocco secured their qualification with a 2-1 victory in Porto-Novo on September 25, 2021, courtesy of goals from Sofia Bouftini and Nassima Jawad. The first leg of the match had to be played over two days due to heavy rain, with the game being interrupted in the 42nd minute and resumed the following day. In the third round, Morocco faced Gambia. Since Gambia couldn't host, both legs were played at the Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat. Morocco emerged victorious in both matches, defeating Gambia 3-1 on December 6, 2021, and 6-0 on December 12, 2021, with Sofia Bouftini scoring a hat-trick. Marwa Hassani and her teammates then faced Senegal in the decisive round. Both legs ended in draws, with a 1-1 scoreline in the first leg in Rabat on January 22, 2022, with Sofia Bouftini finding the back of the net, and the same result in the second leg on February 5, 2022, in Thiès, with Morocco's goal being scored by captain Nesryne El Chad. The penalty shootout favored Senegal, who won 5-4, thus ending Morocco's journey in the qualifiers.

The First Qualification for the World Cup

After failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the Moroccan national team regrouped in November 2022 for a training camp held at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé from November 9 to 15. In February 2023, the team traveled to Conakry to face Guinea in a double friendly match at the Stade du 28 Septembre. In the first leg on February 16, 2023, Morocco emerged victorious with a 3-0 scoreline, thanks to goals from Doha El Madani (double) and Yasmine Zouhir. However, the second match on February 19, 2023, ended in a 3-2 victory for Guinea, with Moroccan goals scored by Dania Boussatta and Yasmine Zouhir once again. From March 13 to 18, 2023, Morocco participated in the second edition of the 2023 UNAF U-20 Women's Tournament held in Tunisia. The team faced Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt. Morocco drew 1-1 against Algeria and secured a last-minute 1-0 victory against Egypt, with a goal from Nora Nouhaili. By finishing first with 7 points on overall goal difference ahead of Algeria, Morocco won the tournament. To prepare for the qualifications for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the team played two friendly matches in Thiès on May 17 and 20, 2023. Both matches ended in defeat for Morocco, with scores of 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. The only Moroccan goal in the second match was scored by Fatima El Ghazouani.

In August 2023, the team faced Mali at the Mohammed VI Complex in a friendly double confrontation. This marks the first stage under the guidance of Stephane Nado. Anthony Rimasson transitions from head coach to assistant. Morocco wins the first leg 1-0 with a goal from Sofia Boussate. The second leg sees both teams drawing (3-3) with Moroccan goals from Dounia F'Touh (brace) and Marjane Benmansour. A few days later, a squad composed only of local players travels to Alexandria to face Egypt in a friendly double confrontation on September 6 and 9. Morocco suffers two defeats: 3-1 with a goal from Douae Azizi and then 1-0. In September, the team faced Botswana in two friendly matches to prepare for the qualifications for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The first match ended in a decisive victory for Morocco (6-0). Morocco also triumphed in the second match, this time with a score of 8-0 (the largest victory in the history of the team).

Morocco began the 2024 African U-20 Women's World Cup qualification on October 8th 2023 with a 4-0 victory over Burkina Faso, thanks to goals from Yasmine Zouhir, Sofia Boussate, Mina El Hamzaoui, and Dania Boussatta. The second leg ended in a 1-1 draw (Moroccan goal by Zina Catherine-Elasri). In late October, the team faced Benin in a friendly double confrontation at the Mohammed VI Complex. Morocco wins the first leg on 26/10/2023 with a score of 2-1, thanks to goals from Ambre Basser-Drunet and Doha El Madani. The Moroccans also prevail in the second leg, this time with a score of 4-2. The Moroccan goals are scored by Nehla Sadiki, Wissal El Assaoui, and Nouhaïla El Montaser (the fourth goal was an own goal).

The following month in El Jadida, the team plays the penultimate round of the qualifications for the 2024 World Cup against Guinea. Morocco wins both legs, the first on November 12th with a score of 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Doha El Madani, and the second leg on November 18th with a score of 2-0, featuring goals from Nehla Sadiki and Samya Masnaoui. Then comes the fourth round of the qualifiers, where the team faced Ethiopia. After a 2-0 victory in the first leg on January 13th, 2024 in El Jadida (goals by Yasmine Zouhir and Ambre Basser), Morocco qualifies for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup for the first time in the team's history, despite losing (1-0) in the second leg in Addis Ababa.

Fixtures and results

Legend  Win  Draw  Lose  Fixture

2023

17 May 2023 (2023-05-17) Friendly Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg2–0Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Thiès, Senegal
16:00 (UTC)Stadium: Stade Lat-Dior
20 May 2023 (2023-05-20) Friendly Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg3–1Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Thiès, Senegal
10:00 (UTC)Stadium: Stade Lat-Dior
8 October 2023 (2023-10-08) 2024 African U-20 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament Morocco  Flag of Morocco.svg4–0Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso El Jadida, Morocco
17:00  UTC+1
Report (FRMF) Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium
Referee: Asma Chouchane (Tunisia)

2024

13 January 2024 (2024-01-13) 2024 African U-20 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament Morocco  Flag of Morocco.svg2–0Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia El Jadida, Morocco
16:00  UTC+1
Report Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium
Referee: Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda)

Current squad

The following players were named for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. [3]

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11 GK Inès Souifi (2004-08-17)17 August 2004 (aged 20) Flag of France.svg Colomiers
22 DF Fatima Zahra Naini (2006-09-20)20 September 2006 (aged 17) Flag of Morocco.svg Hilal Témara
34 FW Djennah Cherif (2006-01-10)10 January 2006 (aged 18) Flag of France.svg Thonon Evian
42 DF Ikram Neddar (2004-04-11)11 April 2004 (aged 20) Flag of Italy.svg Frosinone
52 DF Fatima El Ghazouani (2005-05-11)11 May 2005 (aged 19) Flag of France.svg Lens
62 DF Dania Boussatta (2005-02-16)16 February 2005 (aged 19) Unattached
74 FW Doha El Madani (2005-10-20)20 October 2005 (aged 18) Flag of Morocco.svg AS FAR
83 MF Samya Masnaoui (2005-09-16)16 September 2005 (aged 18) Unattached
94 FW Yasmine Zouhir (2005-07-16)16 July 2005 (aged 19) Flag of Spain.svg Real Betis
103 MF Dounia Ftouh (2004-08-23)23 August 2004 (aged 20) Flag of Morocco.svg AS FAR
113 MF Sofia Boussate (2006-04-20)20 April 2006 (aged 18) Flag of France.svg Montpellier
121 GK Fatima Zahra El Jebraoui (2007-08-08)8 August 2007 (aged 17) Flag of Morocco.svg Wydad AC
132 DF Siham Bouhouch (2007-10-22)22 October 2007 (aged 16) Flag of France.svg Strasbourg
142 DF Maissen Bourhrine (2004-10-16)16 October 2004 (aged 19) Flag of France.svg Lyon
153 MF Lina Laetitia Farida Aich (2006-01-27)27 January 2006 (aged 18) Flag of France.svg Reims
161 GK Anissa Rouinba (2004-12-23)23 December 2004 (aged 19) Flag of Germany.svg 1. FC Köln
173 MF Kawtar Ait Omar (2004-02-19)19 February 2004 (aged 20) Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Genk
184 FW Romaissa Boukakar (2005-12-24)24 December 2005 (aged 18) Flag of the Netherlands.svg AZ
194 FW Kautar Azraf (2008-01-03)3 January 2008 (aged 16) Flag of Spain.svg Barcelona
202 DF Hajar Jbilou (2004-08-30)30 August 2004 (aged 20) Flag of Morocco.svg AS FAR
212 DF Hajar Said (2005-05-22)22 May 2005 (aged 19) Flag of France.svg Bordeaux

Competitive record

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup record

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
YearResultMatchesWinsDraws*LossesGFGA
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2002 did not qualify
Flag of Thailand.svg 2004
Flag of Russia.svg 2006
Flag of Chile.svg 2008
Flag of Germany.svg 2010
Flag of Japan.svg 2012
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2014
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg 2016
Flag of France.svg 2018
Flag of Costa Rica.svg 2022
Flag of Colombia.svg 2024 Group stage300306
Flag of Poland.svg 2026 To be determined
Total1/12300306

African U-20 Women's World Cup Qualification record

African U-20 Women's World Cup qualification
Appearances: 8
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGA
2002 Semifinals4th640200
2004 Round 15th201112
2006 Round 216th200200
2008 Did not enter
2010
2012 Round 11st200206
2014 Round 116th200218
2015 Did not enter
2018 Round 28th411258
2022 Round 48th6330156
2024 Qualified for World Cup1st6411122
2026 TBD
Total8/111 Title30126123432

African Games

African Games record
YearRoundPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Nigeria.svg 2003 did not enter
Flag of Algeria.svg 2007
Flag of Mozambique.svg 2011
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg 2015
Flag of Morocco.svg 2019 Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Medal5401127
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg 2023 Group stage200206
Total2/574031213

UNAF U-20 Women's Tournament record

UNAF U-20 Women's Tournament
Appearances: 1
YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Morocco.svg 2019 Champion1st330074
Flag of Tunisia.svg 2023 Champion1st321051
Total6510125

See also

References

  1. "Morocco pip Algeria to historic bronze". CAF Online. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. Etchells, Daniel (29 August 2019). "Nigeria beat Cameroon on penalties in women's football final at African Games". InsideTheGames.biz . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024 Squads" (PDF).

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Morocco's head-to-head record in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.