As you left Melbourne Rectangular Stadium following Germany’s 6-0 crushing defeat of Morocco, you may be stunned to see that the Moroccan fans were still loudly celebrating and supporting their team as they left the stadium, and as the Atlas Lionesses boarded their team bus.
But that is what it means to the North African nation who are participating in their first-ever Women’s FIFA World Cup, the first Arab Nation to accomplish such a feat.
Despite losing 6-0 the Moroccan fans are still up and about#FIFAWomensWorldCup @FrontPgFootball pic.twitter.com/oY0loR84Ij
— Caydn Foley (@CaydnFWrites) July 24, 2023
Moroccan captain Ghizlane Chebbak spoke to reporters before the match about the pride the team holds for being the first Arab nation to participate in a Women’s World Cup.
“We are honoured to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup,” Chebbak said.
“We feel that we have to shoulder a big responsibility to show a good image, and to show the achievements that the Moroccan football team has made in terms of progress by qualifying for the World Cup.
“This is a great milestone for us and we hope that our match with Germany tomorrow will pave the way for other matches.”
Although the Atlas Lionesses probably did not foresee a 6-0 defeat coming, they certainly still would have felt the strong and vocal support from the Moroccan fans, that remained cheering loudly for the whole 90 minutes despite the result.
The German women’s national team quickly pulled apart Morocco’s defense when star striker Alexandra Popp was able to convert an uncontested header in the 11th minute. But Morocco did not drop their heads. They still played with high energy trying their hardest to scrape back a point in their first-ever Women’s World Cup.
Morocco earned the right to participate in this years Women’s World Cup after having a phenomenal performance at the most recent Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in which they finished as runners-up after falling agonisingly short in a 2-1 defeat to South Africa.
King of Morocco, Mohammed VI decided in 2009 to heavily invest in the future of Moroccan football and in recent times it has been beginning to pay off immensely. In 2022 the Men’s Moroccan national team stunned the world when they reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, upsetting major footballing nations such as Spain and Portugal.
Prior to the match, Moroccan coach Reynard Pedros spoke to journalists about how the women’s team had been inspired by the men’s performance at the most recent Men’s tournament.
“I believe that we have been very inspired by what the men’s team has done at the World Cup, in our determination and our willingness, it’s very important for us to be here,” said Pedros.
But it hasn’t just been the men’s team that has seen major improvements, female participation in football in Morocco has grown rapidly and now many players in the Atlas Lionesses compete for top clubs in numerous leagues across Europe such as Moroccan forward Rosella Ayane who plays for Tottenham in the English Women’s Super League.
Despite being on the receiving end of a thrashing there were still a few moments in the match where Morocco looked like they could potentially score a goal or two they just need to tidy up their defensive structure and their final pass. The WAFCON runners-up still have multiple opportunities to create history by winning a match in their first Women’s World Cup.
Morocco will next face South Korea on the 30th of July in Adelaide.
Featured Image Credit: Pokuah Frimpong
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