Rosella Ayane's story reflects a momentous period for Moroccan football

Can the Atlas Lionesses emulate their male counterparts who reached the World Cup semis?

At the time, Rosella Ayane didn’t even know she’d scored the goal to send Morocco to the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and their first-ever Women’s World Cup. It was only as the forward turned around and saw her jubilant teammates running towards her that the significance of her winning penalty against Nigeria hit.

Ayane’s non-celebration is still a talking point within Moroccan football circles. “Someone asked me if that was my celebration, and I was like, 'I’m not that cool,’” explained the 27-year-old who only made her international debut for Morocco in June 2021. 

Born in Reading, Ayane represented England at U17 and U19 level before nearly deciding to play for Scotland, the country of her mother’s birth. It was the country of her father’s birth, though, that made the strongest pitch to the Tottenham Hotspur player.

Now, Ayane is the face of Moroccan women’s football at an historic time.