Morocco women advance to Olympic qualifying third round after Congo-Brazzaville withdrawal

Morocco’s women have reached the third round of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic football tournament without playing a match after Congo-Brazzaville withdrew.

The decision was confirmed by the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) on Tuesday, just days before Morocco were due to begin their qualifying campaign.

Morocco, one of Africa’s seeded teams, had been scheduled to face Congo-Brazzaville in the second qualifying round. The withdrawal means Ghizlane Chebbak and her team-mates will progress automatically, with no squad having been announced by the FRMF before the development.

On the face of it, the outcome is a positive one for Morocco. They would have been clear favourites against Congo-Brazzaville and qualification was widely expected unless there was a major upset.

However, the cancelled tie also removes an opportunity for the team to respond on the pitch after their disappointing exit from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in August. Morocco were eliminated in the semi-finals of the tournament, which was held on home soil, and the qualifying matches could have provided a chance to begin a new chapter.

Instead, the team will have to wait before returning to competitive action. The next major challenge is expected to come in early 2027, when Morocco face Nigeria in a difficult tie.

Morocco are aiming to go further than they did in qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games, when their campaign ended with defeat by Zambia in the final qualifying round.

The FRMF appears to have anticipated the possibility of Congo-Brazzaville failing to fulfil the fixture, with no list of selected players published. The extended break is now expected to be used for discussions and decisions behind the scenes.

Head coach Jorge Vilda has come under pressure following Morocco’s latest failure at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the impression that the team have regressed. According to Le360, Vilda has been informed that his tenure will end, although an official announcement has yet to be made.

A French coach is reportedly being considered as his replacement. The name circulating in recent days is Eric Blahic, who previously served as assistant to Herve Renard with the France women’s team.

Vilda’s future is therefore set to be a key issue during a break that Morocco had originally expected to spend on the pitch.