From humble beginnings to Africa’s elite: The Atlas Lionesses are "only missing titles"
Morocco's women's national football team, the Atlas Lionesses, has evolved from a nascent program in the 1990s into a competitive force in African football. Increased professionalization and financial investment since 2020 have been identified as the primary drivers of their recent success in WAFCON and World Cup appearances.
Why it matters
The team's trajectory highlights the impact of targeted institutional investment on the growth and competitiveness of women's sports in Africa.
Morocco's women's national football team is advancing through its WAFCON campaign, with its next match set to determine whether the Atlas Lionesses reach a third consecutive final. Their success, however, did not happen overnight. It reflects years of development that transformed a team created only in the late 1990s into one of Africa's leading sides.
Temps de lecture: 3' DR ‹ › In an interview with Yabiladi, Sa d El Abadi, a French-Moroccan sports journalist with Canal+ and author of The History of African Football, traces the team's evolution, assesses its current campaign and discusses Morocco's investment in the women's game, growing public interest, media coverage and the challenges that remain.
How do you assess the development of the women's national team from its creation in the late 1990s to its achievements today?
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