RABAT, Morocco (AP) 鈥 The game was sparsely attended; it was midweek and the match wasn鈥檛 going to be a nail-biter: the Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales, a powerhouse in women鈥檚 soccer here, ended up crushing its Moroccan national women's professional league opponent 7-0.
One young fan in the stands was excited regardless.
Dressed in a jersey reading 鈥淢orocco鈥 in Arabic, 5-year-old Aliae Benazzouza descended to the pitch to meet the players. A favorite of hers, Fatima Tagnaout, who plays for Morocco鈥檚 national women鈥檚 team and for the armed forces team known as ASFAR, wrapped her arms around Aliae as they posed for photos. Aliae waved at another player. During the game, she would make her way to the front of the stands for a better view.
鈥淚 was very happy,鈥 Aliae said.
After years largely in the margins, Moroccan women鈥檚 soccer is gaining new ground, capturing the imagination of some girls like Aliae, winning the hearts and minds of more parents, and chipping away at a traditional view of soccer as a men鈥檚 game. Morocco鈥檚 national team, dubbed the Atlas Lionesses, will make its debut this month at the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup, the first to qualify from the Arab world, where many are wild for the men鈥檚 game.
鈥淚 teach (my daughters) confidence, not fear,鈥 said Idriss Benazzouza, Aliae鈥檚 father. 鈥淪ports don鈥檛 differentiate between genders.鈥
He said the Lionesses鈥 achievement 鈥渟hows how women鈥檚 soccer has progressed鈥 in the North African country and has filled him with joy. He added, though, that not everyone he knows shares his enthusiasm due to conservative views or religious beliefs against women wearing shorts.
The national team鈥檚 upcoming Women's World Cup appearance follows their male counterpart鈥檚 feat as the first African or Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals. Last year's run
Morocco鈥檚 2022 hosting of the Women鈥檚 Africa Cup of Nations drew large numbers of spectators and catapulted the country to the upcoming global tournament. It marked a watershed moment in perceptions for many, soccer officials and players say.
鈥淭he qualification of the women鈥檚 team for the finals at the Africa Cup of Nations, the media momentum and the wide audience that followed 鈥 breathed new life into women鈥檚 soccer in Morocco,鈥 said Khadija Illa, president of the national women鈥檚 soccer league.
The on-the-pitch victories, she said, were the culmination of efforts in recent years by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to develop soccer, including for women. Female players and teams traditionally suffered from neglect here and in the Arab world.
鈥淓verything related to women requires struggling for,鈥 Illa said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not 100% where we want to be, but we have put sound structures in place.鈥
Those include the hiring of Atlas Lionesses鈥 coach Reynald Pedros and moves by the Moroccan federation to support women鈥檚 clubs with such things as salaries. Providing financial help was part of an agreement announced in 2020 for the growth and professionalization of female soccer; goals included establishing a national under-17 championship and increasing the number of female players.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no success without financial support,鈥 Illa said. Still, she said, large salary gaps exist between male and female players at Moroccan clubs, adding, 鈥淲e鈥檙e still at the beginning of the road.鈥
She cited a sports-study program that searches for youthful talent and provides girls who qualify with housing, schooling and soccer practice.
Bahya El Yahmidi, who oversees women鈥檚 soccer at ASFAR, said with victories, attitudes have been evolving.
鈥淚n the beginning, there was such talk as 鈥榊ou belong in the home or in the kitchen鈥 ... or girls would wait for their fathers or brothers to leave before they could sneak out to play,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut later, a brother would come with his sister, a father with his daughter.鈥
For Hiba Karami, who plays for another local team, Fath Union Sport, the advancement in women鈥檚 soccer has made a dream of hers a reality.
Last year, Karami was one of the players representing Morocco in the FIFA U-17 Women鈥檚 World Cup. Karami loved soccer because her older sister played.
When there were naysayers, Karami paid little heed.
鈥淪ome kids or men would say that women belonged in the kitchen and weren鈥檛 made for soccer,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 knew that I loved the game and that I will play.鈥
Boys in the neighborhood accepted her 鈥渂ecause I played better than they did,鈥 she said.
In recent years, Karami said, she鈥檚 seen women鈥檚 soccer receive more attention. She was overjoyed to see many turn up to support the national team during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
She only wishes that had happened sooner; her sister died.
鈥淚 wish she were here to witness my achievements,鈥 Karami said, breaking into tears.
The senior Lionesses鈥 ascent fuels her resolve. 鈥淭his has made me work harder, aspire for more, dream.鈥
Atlas Lionesses' and ASFAR player Ghizlane Chebbak is increasingly seeing the star power she and some of her peers are enjoying in the eyes of young fans.
鈥淥ur efforts and perseverance in the field of soccer haven鈥檛 gone in vain; people have understood that we have the right to play this sport,鈥 the 32-year-old said.
Nouhaila Benzina, who also plays for the national team and ASFAR, said her soccer career has opened up new worlds for her. The 25-year-old never saw soccer at odds with her modest attire and the Islamic headscarf she wears on and off the pitch.
Many, she said, depict her as a role model.
鈥淭his ... makes me want to work harder to show girls that they can achieve great things.鈥
In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, when there are official efforts to develop the game.
Illa said the Moroccan team鈥檚 rise offers hope.
鈥淣othing is impossible,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f they work and plan, other teams can make it too.鈥
Attitudes vary in Arab cities.
In Gaza, ruled by the militant Hamas group, shopkeeper Ahmed Qoffa said he rooted for Morocco鈥檚 men鈥檚 team but takes issue with female players wearing shorts.
鈥淚f it is within the legal, cultural and societal limits, then there is no problem,鈥 he said.
Elsewhere in the region, many were unaware of the Atlas Lionesses鈥 breakthrough.
鈥淭hey always give attention to men鈥檚 sports more than women鈥檚, especially in our countries,鈥 said Hadeel Sleiman. She is a fan from Lebanon.
In Egypt, 61-year-old Hassan Yousef argued that soccer 鈥渋s a rough game that is not at all fit for women,鈥 adding he wouldn鈥檛 enjoy watching women play.
Dr. Husam Mokhtar, a Libyan in Egypt, said he doubts women鈥檚 soccer can become as popular as men鈥檚, adding that 鈥渟occer is a men鈥檚 game.鈥
His 13-year-old daughter, Miral, disagreed. 鈥淓very sport should be played by everyone,鈥 she said.
Back in Morocco, Fath Union Sport players practiced on a recent day.
Among them was 11-year-old Inass Belattar, who once thought only boys could play soccer because she had never seen girls playing on the street.
She now dreams of a career as a soccer player, or a coach, but also an engineer.
鈥淕irls can do anything,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 want to play abroad and be famous around the world.鈥
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Associated Press journalists Wafaa Shurafa in Gaza City, Gaza Strip and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed reporting.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
