ADELAIDE, Australia — Morocco made history in multiple ways during its 1-0 victory over South Korea in the Women’s World Cup on Sunday.
Defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a Hijab in a World Cup game at the senior level, and her teammate Ibtissam Jraïdi scored the Atlas Lionesses´ first World Cup goal. The Moroccans scored in the 6th minute and were able to make it stand up for the remainder of the match.
After a lopsided 6-0 loss against Germany, the victory keeps No. 72-ranked Morocco in contention to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Morocco becomes the first Arab Nation ever to win a game at a Women´s World Cup and remains in contention to advance to the round of 16.
Morocco scored its first ever World Cup goal in the sixth minute when Ibtissam Jraidi met a cross from Hanane Aït El Haj with a glancing header toward the far post.
South Korea had the majority of the possession but was unable to translate the advantage into many scoring opportunities.
Its best chance at equalizing came in the 87th minute when 16-year-old New Jersey resident Casey Phair pushed a shot just wide of the post. Phair, the youngest player to appear at a World Cup, went on as a late substitute.
“We are just so pleased our efforts have paid off. This victory is for Morocco and Arabs, it’s the fruit of our hard work,” Jraidi said according to Reuters.
Park Eun-sun nearly levelled with a diving header of her own at the other end but the forward saw her effort go agonisingly wide of the post, much to the relief of Khadija Er-Rmichi in Morocco’s goal.
Er-Rmichi saw Germany find the net six times in their group opener, but she was hardly tested by the South Koreans, who failed to have a shot on target and struggled to make inroads into the final third as the Moroccan defence stood firm.
“There’s a sense of pride for us to pull this first World Cup win out of the bag,” coach Reynald Pedros said, dedicating the victory to the king of Morocco.
“We didn’t change our philosophy” after losing 6-0 to Germany, Pedros said. “The Korean team is not like the German team and we got off to a blinding start… We were efficient in the box that was missing against Germany.”
Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina, who became the first player to wear a headscarf at the Women’s World Cup, made crucial interventions, while she almost scored from a set-piece when she volleyed a snapshot over the bar.
She even took one for the team when she deliberately clipped Ji So-yun, who was racing through on goal on a counterattack with support, accepting a yellow card without protest.
But South Korea could not capitalise from the free kick, which hit the wall as coach Collin Bell stood on the touchline shaking his head in frustration.
South Korea’s Casey Phair nearly equalised late in the game, but the 16-year-old, who became the youngest player to take the field in Women’s World Cup history in their opener, fired wide to leave them bottom of the group.
“I can’t believe it, to be honest. We saved the worst two performances in my tenure for the World Cup. I didn’t recognise my own team,” said Bell, who took over in 2019 and guided the team to the final of the Asian Cup last year.
“The reality is we were not good enough in both games. Why that was, we have to analyse in detail. I’m not going to let my emotions take over now, and obviously we’re all very disappointed.
“The players are much better than they’ve shown in both matches and it really is almost unbelievable that we’ve performed like we have.”
Brazil foiled by France
Captain Wendie Renard’s header seven minutes from time earned France a dramatic 2-1 win over Brazil at Brisbane’s Lang Park as Herve Renard’s side picked up their first win in Group F.
France proved it is still Brazil’s kryptonite. A 2-1 loss stretched Brazil’s winless run against the French to 12 games.
The result is all too familiar for Brazil, which lost to France in the quarterfinals the 2019 Women´s World Cup by the same score.
The defender met Selma Bacha’s corner with a firm downward header that bounced back up off the turf and beyond goalkeeper Leticia to give the French all three points after opening their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica.
“We’re delighted with the win,” said Eugenie Le Sommer, who scored France’s opener in the first half. “We were up against a brick wall after the draw against Jamaica.
“What for us is the most important was to take the three points,” Le Sommer added according to Reuters.
“Nothing was perfect, however I think that the game plan was stuck to and the most important thing for us was to come away with the win.”
France move onto four points from their first two games, one point ahead of a Brazilian side who had kicked off the tournament with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Panama.
Le Sommer, France’s all-time leading scorer gave her side the perfect start in the 17th minute, moments after seeing Leticia keep out her first effort at full stretch.
But here was little the Brazilian goalkeeper could do about Le Sommer’s opener as she steered her header in after Sakina Karchaoui’s arcing ball from deep on the left was headed back across goal by Kadidiatou Diani.
The Brazilians squandered the opportunity to level midway through the first half when Adriana shot wildly off target having set her sights on the top corner following Debinha’s layoff.
It took until the 58th minute for Pia Sundhage’s side to equalise, with Debinha pouncing to calmly slot beyond Pauline Peyraud-Magnin after Kerolin’s initial attempt was deflected into the striker’s path by Le Sommer.
But with seven minutes remaining France’s increased pressure paid off when Renard thumped her header into the Lang Park turf and the ball bounced beyond Leticia to earn her team a much-needed victory.
“I’m disappointed in our first half,” said Sundhage. “I think we were well prepared, everything up to then had been good but I could not make them play the way they played in the practice before or get connected.
“One of our strengths is to get connected and we could not. Second balls, loose balls the France players they were so much faster and quicker to get there.”
Jamaica knocks out Panama
Jamaica defender Allyson Swaby scored from a sharp header to steer her side to a 1-0 win against Panama in Perth, keeping alive the Caribbean side’s hopes of advancing to the last 16.
Panama, who has yet to open their account having lost earlier to Brazil 4-0, cannot now progress ahead of France and Jamaica who lead Group F with four points.
“I think there was some wastefulness in front of goal. I didn’t think we were clinical,” winning Coach Lorne Donaldson told a press conference.
“But we got the one that counted and that’s all that matters right now.”
In a scoreless first half, Jamaica dominated in attack and kept Panama goalkeeper Yenith Bailey busy, peppering the goal without success.
On the stroke of halftime, a huge chance went begging when Bailey stretched to get a fingertip to midfielder Drew Spence’s free kick to keep the islanders frustrated.
Panama, competing in their first World Cup, played with renewed vigour in the 10 minutes following the break and forward Lineth Cedeno misdirected a header that would have been her country’s first goal in the showpiece event.
Jamaica absorbed the pressure though and in the 56th minute Trudi Carter fired in a low corner kick to Swaby — captaining the side after Khadija Shaw was red-carded during their 0-0 draw with France — who scored.
The ‘Reggae Girlz’ protected their lead for the remainder of the game and, despite a few nervy moments in stoppage time, held on to celebrate their first World Cup victory.
Panama’s final match comes against France in Sydney on Wednesday when Jamaica will face Brazil in Melbourne.
“Panama has a future. This is the first of many World Cups, this is what we have to think,” losing coach Ignacio Quintana told reporters.
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