صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
- 📚 Sustainable sports research reference🌍 Scope: Morocco, the Maghreb, and the world📌 Topic: Women’s Football and the New Sports Economy Women’s football in Moro...
- The Lionesses of the Atlas, the rise of women’s football in Morocco and the Maghreb region, and sports professionalism – Sports Studies Unit in Bladi Press 1
صحافة بلادي — Women’s football in Morocco and the Maghreb region has moved from a marginal, amateur practice to an integrated professional sector that attracts millions of viewers and international sponsorship contracts, after the historic achievement of the “Atlas Lionesses” team in the Women’s World Cup and the crowning of the Royal Army Women’s Club in the African Champions League.
1. The Moroccan strategic plan to qualify women’s football (professional contracts and guaranteed wages)
In 2020, the Royal Moroccan Football League launched an unprecedented structural program in Africa and the Arab world to develop women’s football, which included the creation of a professional national championship with two divisions (first and second) and a championship for the minor categories under 17 years, with the university guaranteeing a minimum monthly wage for players and technical crews in national clubs.
This institutional investment has produced a wide base of professional female players, and has enabled Morocco to qualify for the Women’s World Cup finals in all age groups (first team, U-20, and U-17), as well as reaching the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations twice in a row.
2. The model of the Royal Army Club and Sporting Casablanca in the Women’s African Champions League
The Confederation of African Confederation (CAF)’s obligation for men’s clubs participating on the continent to have a women’s team contributed to accelerating the structure of Maghreb clubs. The Royal Army Women Club established itself as the first force on the African continent and represented Africa in the FIFA Women’s Club Champions Cup, in addition to the emergence of the clubs Sporting Casablanca, Afak Relizane and Chabab Belouizdad in Algeria, the Women’s Association in Sousse and the Housing Bank in Tunisia.
3. Marketing attractiveness and television broadcasting rights for women’s football globally and regionally
FIFA reports indicate that women’s football is the fastest growing sector in the global sports industry with an annual growth rate exceeding 25% in advertising revenues and public attendance, which opens a promising market for Maghreb clubs and federations.
📊 Indicators for structuring the professional women’s football system in Morocco and the Maghreb region
| Structural axis | The mechanism adopted in the professional system | Sports, social and economic impact |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts and social protection | Unified professional contracts, health coverage, and guaranteed monthly wages for female players | Transforming women’s football into a stable and respectable profession |
| National Competitions Pyramid | Professional championship for the first and second divisions + regional championships and small categories | The number of annual official matches for each player has increased to more than 26 matches |
| Formation of frames and rulings | Graduating female coaches with (CAF A/B) diplomas and international referees with VAR technology | The presence of Maghreb female referees (such as Bouchra Karboubi) in the World Cup and the Olympics |
| School and academic training | Integration of females into the Mohammed VI Academy and the regional federal centers | Youth and junior women’s teams regularly qualify for the World Cup finals |
📌 Reference summaries for researchers and followers:
- The success of women’s football is directly linked to the presence of a regular national championship and professional contracts that protect the financial rights of female players.
- The brilliance of Maghreb female referees and coaches in international forums has enhanced the image of the region’s sporting competence internationally.
- The financial support programs of FIFA and CAF provide grants designated for the development of women’s football, which Maghreb clubs must fully invest.
ليبيا وموريتانيا
