Morocco makes more Women's World Cup history, reaching knockout rounds with a 1-0 win over Colombia.
Morocco beat Colombia 1-0 to make it to the Women’s World Cup knockout round, creating more history in a dramatic conclusion to the group stage of the 2023 tournament.
Morocco is the first Arab or North African nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup and now the first to advance beyond the group stage. That's something none of the other seven newcomers managed to do.
The victory also meant Morocco qualified in second place in the group, behind Colombia, and knocked two-time champion Germany out of the tournament. No. 2-ranked Germany needed a win over South Korea in a game being played simultaneously in Brisbane, but was held to a 1-1 draw.
The Moroccans were trounced 6-0 by Germany in their debut game in the tournament, but bounced back with consecutive wins,.
The win over South Korea on the weekend was historic for the team, for Ibtissam Jraïdi scoring the Atlas Lionesses’ first World Cup goal, and for another significant milestone — defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a Hijab in a World Cup game at the senior level.
Morocco’s men’s team also made World Cup history last year. In the 2022 men’s World Cup, the Atlas Lions advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1986 and became the first African or Arab nation to reach a World Cup semifinal.
Colombia wins its group for the first time in team history and is in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2015.
WHAT’S NEXT
Morocco, as the Group H runner-up, will play Group F winner France in Adelaide on Tuesday. Colombia will play Group F runner-up Jamaica the same day in Melbourne.
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Apnews
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