MOROCCO SET FOR WOMEN'S WORLDS CUP DEBUT AFTER METEORIC RISE

The Atlas Lionesses are the first Arab nation to reach a Women’s World Cup, and the excitement in Morocco is building.

Al Jazeera

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Women's World Cup

Morocco set for Women’s World Cup debut after meteoric rise

The Atlas Lionesses are the first Arab nation to reach a Women’s World Cup, and the excitement in Morocco is building.

Imagine being the only person in a stadium unaware that your country just won the biggest game in its history. Now imagine also being the person who scored the goal to win that game.

Rosella Ayane doesn’t have to. When she scored in Morocco’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semifinal penalty shootout against Nigeria last year, she calmly turned around and began trudging back to the halfway line to rejoin her teammates.

It wasn’t until those teammates mobbed her that she realised what she had done, and her confusion turned to joy.