Morocco’s U17 Lionesses suffered a painful setback on Friday, October 23, falling 5-1 to Argentina in their final Group A fixture at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Playing at Pitch No. 4 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, the young Moroccan side entered the decisive encounter hoping to strengthen its chances of reaching the knockout stages.
Instead, a difficult first half left the hosts facing an uphill battle, with their hopes of qualification now resting on the results of other group matches.
After opening their campaign with an impressive 4-0 victory over New Zealand, Morocco had already experienced defeat against Germany. The loss to Argentina leaves the team's World Cup future uncertain, with qualification among the best third-placed teams now a possibility rather than a certainty.
An Early Goal Ruled Out as Argentina Strike First
Morocco appeared to make the perfect start when Nessma Mouradi found the net in just the second minute. However, the celebrations were cut short after a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside.
The reprieve proved important for Argentina, who gradually established control and opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Mercedes Diz.
The Moroccan players attempted to respond, creating opportunities in search of an equaliser. However, their efforts failed to produce the breakthrough they needed, allowing Argentina to maintain its advantage.
Mercedes Diz Punishes Morocco Before Half-Time
The match became increasingly difficult for the hosts in the 29th minute. Taking advantage of a defensive mistake and a poorly timed intervention from the Moroccan goalkeeper, Diz scored her second goal of the afternoon.
Just five minutes later, Josefina Galaz produced one of Argentina's standout moments, firing a superb effort from outside the penalty area to make it 3-0.
Morocco struggled to contain the growing pressure, and the situation worsened just before half-time when Diz completed her hat-trick, putting Argentina four goals ahead.
The first-half display left the young Lionesses with a considerable deficit to overcome after the break.
Nessma Mouradi Gives Morocco a Brief Lift
Despite the difficult scoreline, Morocco returned for the second half determined to fight back.
Their persistence produced a reward in the 58th minute, when Nessma Mouradi found the net following an assist from Sonia Abajiou, reducing the deficit to 4-1.
The goal offered a brief moment of encouragement for the hosts and their supporters, demonstrating that the Moroccan side remained committed to competing despite the circumstances.
However, Argentina quickly restored its control of the contest.
In the 75th minute, Julieta Aguilar unleashed a powerful strike to score Argentina's fifth goal, effectively putting the result beyond doubt.
Morocco continued to search for another goal during the closing stages but could not find a way through the Argentine defence.
Moroccan Legends Show Their Support
The young Lionesses were not alone during the difficult encounter. Three established Moroccan internationals — Ghizlane Chebbak, Khadija Rmichi and Fatima Jabraoui — were present to support the team from the stands.
Their presence offered a reminder of the wider Moroccan women's football community standing behind the next generation, even as the young players faced one of the toughest moments of their tournament.
For the U17 squad, the experience will provide valuable lessons as they continue their development on the international stage.
Qualification Now Depends on Other Results
The 5-1 defeat leaves Morocco waiting for the conclusion of the remaining group-stage fixtures to discover whether they can advance to the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Having started the tournament with a convincing victory over New Zealand, the Lionesses will be disappointed that they could not maintain that momentum across their remaining matches.
Their qualification hopes are no longer entirely in their own hands, and the final standings across the groups will determine whether their World Cup journey continues.
For Morocco's young players, the immediate challenge is to take lessons from a demanding campaign, preserve their confidence and continue building towards the future of women's football in the country.