Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses to face Venezuela in a friendly ahead of 2027 Women’s World Cup

Morocco’s women’s national team will face Venezuela and France in December friendlies as the Atlas Lionesses continue preparations for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) confirmed the matches in a statement published on its official website on Wednesday, with Morocco scheduled to meet Venezuela on 1 December before taking on France four days later.

The fixtures will provide newly appointed head coach Eric Blahic with further opportunities to assess his squad and prepare the team for its second consecutive appearance at the global tournament, which will run from 24 June to 25 July 2027.

Morocco set for France rematch

The match against France will take place at Stade Auguste-Bonal in Sochaux on 5 December, with kick-off scheduled for 9:10 p.m. local time.

The venue and kick-off time for Morocco’s meeting with Venezuela on 1 December have yet to be announced by the FRMF.

The encounter with France will reunite the two teams after they met at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Morocco will also use the Venezuela fixture to test itself against South American opposition ahead of the tournament in Brazil.

The two matches are expected to help Blahic assess his players, explore tactical options and identify areas requiring improvement before the World Cup.

Atlas Lionesses secure Brazil 2027 qualification

Morocco booked their place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup through their performance at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which was held on home soil from 26 July to 16 August.

The Atlas Lionesses secured qualification after defeating South Africa 2-1 in the quarter-finals on 8 August at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

Soukaina Ouzraoui opened the scoring in the 31st minute before Hanane Ait El Haj doubled Morocco’s advantage in the 52nd minute. South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana pulled a goal back in the 67th minute, but Morocco held on to win.

The victory sent Morocco into the semi-finals and guaranteed their place at the World Cup, with the four WAFCON semi-finalists earning direct qualification.

Morocco eventually finished fourth after losing the third-place play-off against Algeria on penalties, but their main objective of reaching the global tournament had already been achieved.

Morocco seek to build on historic 2023 campaign

The 2027 edition in Brazil will be Morocco’s second appearance at the Women’s World Cup, following their historic debut in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

Morocco became the first Arab national team to compete in the tournament and made an impressive recovery after losing 6-0 to Germany in their opening match.

They responded with consecutive 1-0 victories over South Korea and Colombia to reach the round of 16, becoming one of the stories of the group stage.

Their campaign ended with a 4-0 defeat against France in the knockout phase, but reaching the last 16 on their debut marked a significant achievement for Moroccan women’s football.

The December meeting with France will give the Atlas Lionesses another opportunity to measure their progress against the side that ended their first World Cup campaign.

Blahic continues preparations with December tests

Blahic has already overseen two friendlies against Uzbekistan in October, with Morocco recording a 3-1 victory in the first match before playing out a goalless draw in the second.

The upcoming fixtures against Venezuela and France will provide further opportunities to improve team coordination and evaluate the squad before the tournament.

Morocco will also turn their attention to the World Cup draw, scheduled for 11 December in Rio de Janeiro, which will determine their group-stage opponents.

The 2027 competition will feature 32 national teams, with Brazil hosting the Women’s World Cup for the first time.

With qualification secured, the Atlas Lionesses will use their upcoming international matches and further preparations to build on their 2023 experience and aim for another competitive campaign on the world stage.