WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Tagnaout, Chebbak headline Morocco squad for Women’s World Cup debut
Top stars Ghizlane Chebbak and Fatima Tagnaout are among the 28 players named in Morocco’s squad for their debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup next month.
Saudi Arabia-based talented striker Ibtissam Jraidi was also included in coach Reynald Pedros’ preliminary squad for the tournament to be held in Australia & New Zealand.
Eight players from local giants AS FAR were also named in the squad highligting the contrubtion of the club that forms the core of the Moroccan women’s national team.
The Frenchman unveiled the eagerly awaited list on Monday and the country’s key players will be part of the preparation camp for the upcoming global competition.
The unveiling of the squad marks a significant milestone for women’s football in Morocco, as the nation eagerly anticipates their team’s performance on the global stage.
The selected players represent a mix of domestic and international talent, with representatives from clubs in France, England, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Among them is Jraidi, the top scorer in the last CAF Women’s Champions League, and Tagnaout, who was crowned the best player of the competition.
The Atlas Lionesses can also rely on the leadership of their captain, Chebbak, who was named the best player of the previous CAF TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The preparation period presents an opportunity for players like Rosella Ayane, who has had limited playing time with Tottenham, to improve their form and make their mark.
Following friendlies against Italy and Switzerland, Coach Pedros will face the challenging task of naming his final squad.
Morocco will face Italy on July 1, followed by another friendly match against Switzerland on July 5.
The French coach will need to drop five players from the squad, whittle the team down to 23 players and communicate the final list to FIFA by 10 July.
Making their first-ever appearance in the Women’s World Cup, the Atlas Lionesses are set to face tough opponents in the group stage.
Germany, South Korea, and Colombia will challenge Morocco at the group stage of the tournament.
The team will kick off their campaign against Germany on July 24 at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia, followed by a match against South Korea on July 30 at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide.
Their final group stage game will be against Colombia on August 3 at HBF Park in Perth.
Morocco’s preliminary squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup
Goalkeepers: Ines Arouaissa (AS Cannes, France), Khadija Errmichi (AS FAR), Assia Zouhair (SCCM, Morocco)
Defenders: Hanane Ait El Haj (AS FAR), Nouhaila Benzina (AS FAR), Siham Boukhami (AS FAR), Ghizlane Chhiri (AS FAR), Nesryne El Chad (Lille, France), Rkia Mazrouai (Sporting de Charlerois, Belgium), Yasmin Mrabet (FC Levante Las Planas, Spain), Zineb Redouani (AS FAR), Sabah Seghir (Napoli, Italy)
Midfielders: Ghizlane Chebbak (AS FAR), Najat Badri (AS FAR), Anissa Lamari (Guingamp, France), Sarah Kassi (Fleury, France), Élodie Nakkach (Servette Geneva, Switzerland)
Forwards: Salma Amani (FC Metz, France), Rosella Ayane (Tottenham, England), Anissa Belkasmi (US Orleans, France), Sofia Bouftini (RS Berkane, Morocco), Kenza Chapelle (FC Nantes, France), Fatima Gharbi (CE Europa, Spain), Samya Hassani (SC Telstar VVNH, Netherlands), Ibtissam Jraidi (Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club, Saudi Arabia), Sakina Ouzraoui Diki (Club Bruges, Belgium), Imane Saoud (Servette Geneva, Switzerland), Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR)
Morocco match schedule
July 24, 2023
Germany – Morocco, 9:30 a.m. (Rabat time), AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
July 30, 2023
South Korea – Morocco 5:30 a.m. (Rabat time), Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia
August 03, 2023
Morocco – Colombia 11 a.m. (Rabat time), HBF Park, Perth, Australia
Nigeria Super Falconets gave Nigerians additional joy after their 4-0 defeat of Venezuela in Cali, Colombia in their last group match. Their victory followed up with an earlier 3-0 win by the Super Eagles in their opening Group D match with Benin Republic in Uyo.
The Falconets’ win means they have qualified for the Round of 16 where they are most likely going to face Japan when the group games are completed on Sunday.
Both Nigeria and Germany tied on six points, but Germany have one goal better than Nigeria on goal difference.
The Super Falcons made early hays when Amina Bello put Nigeria ahead after 16 minutes. Chiamaka Okwuchukwu doubled the lead in the 28th minute before Flourish Sebastine put in the third five minutes into the added time of the first half. Joy Igbokwe put in the back breaker four minutes into the added time of the second hald.
Nigeria’s U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign suffered a setback as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against a clinical German side in Bogota, Colombia on Wednesday night.
The result secures Germany’s place in the knockout stages, while leaving the Falconets with work to do in their final group match.
In an end-to-end encounter, both sides created numerous chances, but it was Germany who struck first. Cora Zicai’s pinpoint cross found Alara Sehitler, who nodded home in the 17th minute to give the Europeans the lead.
Nigeria’s star performer, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, had earlier come close to opening the scoring with a magnificent solo run, only to be denied by German goalkeeper Rebecca Adamczyk.
Okwuchukwu’s persistence paid off early in the second half when she capitalized on a defensive mix-up to draw Nigeria level, celebrating with Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous ‘siuuu’ celebration.
However, Germany’s quality shone through as they regained the lead through Sofie Zdebel, again assisted by the impressive Zicai.
Despite Okwuchukwu having another goal ruled out for offside, Germany sealed the win in stoppage time with Sarah Ernst’s powerful header.
The defeat leaves Nigeria on three points from two matches, with their final group game against Venezuela in Cali now crucial to their hopes of progressing.
Germany beat Nigeria’s Falconets 3-1 in their second group game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. With Germany’s win, the Europeans have made it to the last 16 stage, even with a game to spare.
The coach of Germany, Kathrin Peter acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian team , saying: “It was a really tough match today.
“That was expected, but we actually had big problems in defence. They had a few chances where we had the necessary luck, we have to admit that.
“But in the second half we were really good and asserted our dominance and I think we deserved to win in the end.”
Here are some major points:
- Germany beat Nigeria 2-0 in the final match 14 years ago in Germany.
- Germany have now won their last four FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup meetings with Nigeria. Alex Popp inspired a 2-0 victory in the 2010 final, Lena Petermann settled the decider in extra-time four year later, and Stefanie Sanders was the solitary scorer in Group D in 2018.
- This was just Nigeria’s third loss in their past 24 group matches at the tournament.
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