Report By: By Olaleye Oluwadamilola
Morocco’s Sakina Ouzraoui has set her sights on Olympic qualification but they will compete for a ticket in the Women’s Olympic Football Games against Zambia over two legs.
Sakina Ouazraoui of Morocco will always remember Tuesday, September 26, 2023, as the day she scored her first goal for the national team against Zambia in a devastating 6-2 loss to the Copper Queens.
Since then, a lot has changed, including the addition of Jorge Vilda to the Atlas Lionesses’ squad following his women’s World Cup triumph with Spain as they get ready to play the Zambians in two legs to compete for a spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Ouazraoui talks to CAFOnline about the possibility of competing in the Olympics and the squad’s development. The team is more motivated than ever after their devastating loss to Zambia and their outstanding performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“I think it’s an elimination round like any other, we’re not going to put more pressure on ourselves than that. Zambia is a team we know very well. We faced them in a double confrontation last September”.
“The result was not in our favor (two defeats: 2-0 and 6-2) but I think we are a completely different team now. We are more ambitious, and our game has evolved. One thing is certain: we believe in ourselves, and we will fight until the end”, she vowed.
Reigning African champions, South Africa will take on Nigeria in the third and final round of the Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifier on Friday, 05 and 09 April in a two-legged affair.
The Super Falcons are South Africa’s longstanding rivals and with a place at the Olympics at stake, the two-legged qualifier promises to be a highly tactical, but thrilling affair.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
