Nesryne El Chad (center) celebrates with fans the victory against Colombia during the Women’s World Cup in Perth (Australia), Thursday August 3, 2023. GARY DAY / AP
“The longest nine minutes of my life. » Like all her friends gathered at her house, Thursday August 3, to follow the meeting between Morocco and Colombia, Sophia experienced the match with a ball in her stomach. Nine minutes of additional time at the end of the match and at the end ” delivery ” : a victory (1-0) and a historic qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup. “It was very stressful, because we had to wait for the elimination of Germany. I haven’t exulted like this since the Lions win against Portugal.”says the young woman, employed in a transport company in Casablanca (Morocco).
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Pursuing a World Cup – against France, Tuesday August 8 (1 p.m., Paris time) – while the United States, defending champions, Germany and Brazil are eliminated, is a feat in Morocco, where the success of the women’s team recalls the course of the men’s selection during the World Cup in Qatar, in December 2022. “But there, these are women, it changes a lot of things, says Leila, a longtime supporter who works in communications. The jet lag surely played [le match a été diffusé à 11 heures au Maroc], but when the final whistle sounded, the Lionesses victory was not celebrated in the streets, as was the case with the men in Qatar. Women and football are still very new in Morocco. »
“We come from very farinsists Nasser Larguet, National Technical Director (DTN) of Morocco between 2014 and 2019. When I took office, women’s football was not taken seriously. He was treated in a commission that included futsal and beach soccer. At each meeting, this was the last subject dealt with. » This recognized figure of Moroccan football, now DTN of Saudi Arabia, measures the progress made: “I told Fouzi Lekjaa [président de la Fédération royale marocaine de football] of my wish to create a committee dedicated to women’s football and he supported me. »
AS FAR Rabat, provider of players for the World Cup
Among the changes made are the introduction in each regional league of a selection for girls and the gradual creation of selections for the U17 and U20. The establishment in 2017 of sport-studies has also made it possible to detect early talents, “from the age of 12”explains Nasser Larguet. “They trained twice a day at the Mohammed VI national complex, near Rabat: at 7 a.m. and then at 4 p.m., with time in between for schooling. » Among the players he meets then, several future Lionesses who compete in the World Cup, including defender Zineb Redouani and striker Sofia Bouftini.
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