Morocco's U-17 Women's World Cup Journey Faces Setback After Loss to Argentina
In a disappointing turn of events for Morocco's U-17 women's football team, the "Lionesses of the Atlas" suffered a heavy defeat against Argentina, losing 1-5 in their final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup held in Rabat. This loss placed Morocco third in Group A with only three points, leaving their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage precariously dependent on the outcomes of matches in other groups.
The match, played at the state-of-the-art Mohammed VI Football Complex, initially sparked hope for the home team when Nesma Mouradi seemed to have scored a quick goal in the second minute, only for it to be disallowed. This early set-back seemed to galvanize the Argentine team, who quickly took control of the match. In the 14th minute, Mercedes Díaz opened the scoring for Argentina, and shortly after, she capitalized on a defensive error by Morocco to double the lead in the 29th minute. The first half concluded with a hat-trick from Díaz, who scored again during added time, leaving Morocco trailing by four goals at halftime.
Despite the daunting scoreline, Morocco came out with renewed vigor in the second half, managing to score in the 58th minute through Mouardi, which provided a glimmer of hope for the home crowd. However, Argentina quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback by scoring their fifth goal in the 73rd minute, making it clear that Morocco's defensive vulnerabilities were too significant to overcome.
Ultimately, this match marked a challenging group stage for Morocco, as they ended their campaign behind Germany and Argentina. Germany topped the group with nine points, while Argentina secured second place with six points. As the third-placed team with three points, Morocco must now wait and see if they will qualify for the next round as one of the best-performing third-place teams from the tournament.
Despite this heavy defeat on home soil, the "Lionesses of the Atlas" remain hopeful. Their journey in this prestigious tournament, hosted in Morocco, now hinges on the results of other teams. Fans and supporters alike are left anxiously awaiting the outcomes that will determine whether Morocco can advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
As reported by cafonline.com.
