🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
Atlas Lionesses climb four spots in FIFA women's rankings
via Le Matin2 min read
The Atlas Lionesses have advanced four places in the latest FIFA women's rankings, now holding the 4th position in Africa with 1402.88 points. This improvement follows three friendly match victories. Nigeria leads the African rankings at 36th globally, followed by South Africa 58th and Ghana 59th. Zambia remains at 64th worldwide, completing the continental top five. Globally, 276 qualifying matches for the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027 have been played across all confederations except CAF since the last ranking in December 2025. Spain maintains its lead since August 2025, despite a loss to England, which moved up to 3rd place, pushing Germany to 4th. The United States remains 2nd after two friendly wins and one loss to Japan. Japan made the biggest leap in the top 10, rising three places to 5th, thanks to six qualifying victories and a friendly win against the United States. Sweden dropped three places to 8th due to poor results. North Korea exited the top 10, replaced by the Netherlands, which re-entered at 10th. Several countries achieved their highest-ever rankings, including Turkey 51st, El Salvador 78th, Kosovo 81st, Nepal 87th, and Saudi Arabia 160th. American Samoa also made a significant jump, climbing 17 spots to 120th. The British Virgin Islands have been removed from the rankings, reducing the total number of ranked teams from 198 to 197, as they have not fielded a women's team for four years. The next FIFA women's world ranking will be published on June 16,
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
The Tétouan Regional Hospital Center for Specialties has commenced operations, aligning with the national program for rehabilitating and equipping public health infrastructure. This initiative follows the Royal Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, aiming for a profound and structural reform of the national health system and the generalization of social protection and universal health coverage. The new center seeks to enhance healthcare provision in the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region, bringing specialized health services closer to citizens and improving patient care quality. It also aims to alleviate pressure on other regional hospitals, promoting territorial equity in healthcare access. Built on over 3.27 hectares with 32,300 m² of covered area, the hospital represents a total investment of 805.26 million dirhams. With a capacity of 380 beds, it is designed to serve over 1.5 million inhabitants in the Tétouan province and surrounding health zones. Over 400 professionals, including medical, nursing, technical, and administrative staff, have been mobilized to ensure optimal service delivery. The center offers a wide range of specialized medical and surgical services, including general surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, orthopedic and trauma surgery, anesthesia-resuscitation, and various internal medicine specialties. It also provides care in cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, and hemodialysis, alongside medical imaging, advanced diagnostics,
Morocco's national football team, the Atlas Lions, will face Norway in their final friendly match before the start of the 2026 World Cup. The game is scheduled for Sunday in New Jersey. This match represents the first significant international test for national coach Mohamed Ouahbi, following two victories against Burundi and Madagascar in Morocco. The Morocco-Norway match will kick off at 8:00 PM at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Fans can watch the match on Arryadia and Al Aoula channels.
Brazil's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, highlighted the significance of their first match in the 2026 World Cup against Morocco. Speaking on the YouTube channel "Duda Garbi" during the "Bola-Bola com Falcao" show, Ancelotti described Morocco as a "solid, intense, and very well-organized team, with high-quality players." He noted that scoring against Morocco is challenging due to their strong defensive organization, making it a "true test from the start of the competition." Ancelotti also compared Morocco to their other Group C opponents, Haiti and Scotland, stating that while the latter two rely on physical power, they lack the individual skills of Morocco. The Moroccan national team will begin their tournament against the five-time World Cup winners, Brazil, on Saturday, June 13, at 11 PM GMT+1 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Morocco's Atlas Lions are in the final stages of preparation for their World Cup 2026 campaign, which begins with a high-profile match against Brazil on June 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. After two victories in Morocco against Burundi and Madagascar, national coach Mohamed Ouahbi faces his first real international test this Sunday against Norway. This crucial match serves as a dress rehearsal before facing the Seleção and aligns with a well-defined tactical strategy. By choosing the Scandinavian team, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation provides Ouahbi with an ideal opponent to simulate the physical characteristics of Scotland, whom Morocco will play on June 19 at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Scotland is known for its impact in duels, aerial power, and constant intensity, representing a challenge that the Moroccans must learn to master. Norway, with a comparable athletic profile, will push the Moroccan central defense, still in its adjustment phase, and the midfield to elevate their physical demands. This is an ideal opportunity to strengthen defensive coordination, test the solidity of key players like Achraf Hakimi, and assess the freshness of young talent Ayyoub Bouaddi, while refining rapid transitions. Facing the athletic challenge awaiting them in Group C, this match will allow for final adjustments to approach the Scottish encounter with maximum assurance. Upon their arrival at Newark Airport, Brahim Díaz's teammates immediately grasped the expectations surrou