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The Atlas Lionesses were unable to hold off France in the Round of 8 at the World Cup. Beaten 4-0, the Moroccans lacked defensive rigor and attacking punch. As was the case against Germany, the learning curve at the highest level continues, with the aim of closing the gap on the big guns.
Morocco's World Cup is a success in sporting terms. Considered one of the weakest teams at this year's tournament, the Atlas Lionesses surprised the soccer world by qualifying for the Round of 8 in a group that also included Germany, Colombia and South Korea. Even though they lost heavily to the blue armada (4-0), the Moroccan women defied all the predictions of many observers: a feat that confirms the leap forward in Moroccan women's soccer.
A defense in need of improvement
The results and performances also raise a number of questions.Morocco will still have to fight hard to compete with the best teams in the world. Although the Atlas Lionesses are technically gifted, they still have a tendency to give up physically and defensively. Against Germany and France, they conceded ten goals, reflecting the very average level of their defense. In fact, coach Reynald Pedros had to put together two defensive lines during this Women's World Cup to try and find the right formula. But neither the pairing of Hanane Ait El Haj - Yasmine Mrabet nor El Chad - Benzina managed to hold their own against the top teams. Numerous errors in relaunching and positioning cost at least four goals during the tournament. This is a shortcoming that needs to be corrected in future tournaments, as Morocco will once again be hosting the Women's AFCON, and will be keen to go for a final victory after taking silver on home soil.
Khadija Er-Rmichi is another weak point in the Moroccan defence. Although the AS FAR player is the best in the country, she is still showing signs of weakness in her aerial dwells.
Chebbak and Tagnaout often on their own
Morocco entered the World Cup with two highly-anticipated players.However, Fatima Tagnaout and Ghizlane Chebbak failed to show their full talent on grass.The captain, the top scorer in the Moroccan league, often looked for her attacking partners, but was unsuccessful most of the time. She created some good openings, but the forwards sometimes lacked the speed to catch the opposing defense off-guard. The left-winger wasn't particularly flamboyant either, as she was often stunned by what was at stake. But the most important thing is that the goal was achieved and the mentality instilled in the young players.And that's something the coach has taken on board.
For Pedros, it's "time to work". "It's only three years ago that we started building this team.I'm proud to have reached the last 16 with this team," enthused Reynald Pedros after the match. "The French team was very competitive. We weren't very effective. We lacked aggression and made mistakes, especially in the first half, he said.
"I congratulate all the players and the staff. Now it's time to get back to work. We have some important sporting events to prepare for, in particular the forthcoming Olympic Games," he continued. "In the future, we still need to work on the defensive side of the game, as well as on tactics and fitness," said the French coach.
The same goes for Elodie Nakkach. The player from FC Servette (Swiss D1) hopes this performance will pave the way for others.Disappointed by the elimination and in tears, Nakkach believes that the squad tried "to make Morocco shine, but there's still a lot to do".
Moroccan fans generally applauded the performance of the Atlas Lionesses. But now they want to see them on the roof of Africa and at the Olympic Games. For one of them, interviewed after the elimination, "it's not the end of an adventure, but the beginning of a journey to win a trophy".
