Rosella Ayane leads Morocco into new era at 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
From reconnecting with her roots to unknowingly making history, the Tottenham striker's short but inspired journey with the Atlas Lionesses has already been unforgettable.
Football
When Morocco’s Rosella Ayane scored the decisive penalty to send the Atlas Lionesses through to the 2022 WAFCON final, she did not even know it.
As 45,000 football fans in Rabat's Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium erupted with joy at the side's shootout victory over reigning champions Nigeria, the 27-year-old Tottenham striker was not celebrating.
She thought there was more to come, but had not realised hers was the fifth Morocco spot-kick and that they had won 5-4 on penalties after the teams had finished 1-1.
It was only when her teammates came sprinting over did the penny drop with victory also securing a first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to live that penalty down, am I?” Ayane told Sky's Inside the WSL as she reflected on that historic moment.
She revealed that a language barrier between her and the referee led to a misunderstanding about the significance of the penalty, and her initial reaction was so muted that some observers thought she might be showing disrespect to her opponents.
“People are still asking about it to this day,” Ayane continued to Sky. “Obviously, what she’s said has gone in, and I turned around and I’m like, ‘Oh yes! It’s clicked! I’ve scored the winning penalty, and we’re going to the final.’
“Someone asked me if that was my celebration, and I was like, 'I’m not that cool.' I wish I was that cool, but I’m not that cool!"
Rosella Ayane: Choosing Morocco a ‘no-brainer’
While the forward might wish she had responded differently to the moment Morocco became the first Arab women's side to reach a World Cup, the country has embraced its newfound hero.
Born and raised in Reading, England, Ayane represented her birth country at under-17 and under-19 level before making her full Morocco debut in June 2021.
Despite also having the option to play for Scotland through her mother, the 27-year-old told Sky, “For me, it was kind of a no-brainer. I have such a close connection with Morocco. It’s my dad’s side of the family. It has such a special place in my heart, and it just felt right.
"When I was deciding I didn’t really have to think about it, which for me already says what my answer.”
She could not have had a better introduction to international football, scoring in the opening minute before setting up a goal in a 3-0 win over Mali in Rabat.
Each time she steps out for the Atlas Lionesses, Ayane says she reconnects with fond childhood memories of playing football on holiday with other children and kicking a ball on the beach with her father.
"I was in the streets with all the Moroccan girls and boys until around 10 o’clock at night. I’m five or six or seven years old, and I’m just kind of living my best life in the street, just no care in the world or for anything else that was going on," she recalled.
Ayane’s decision to represent the African nation follows considerable recent investment by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF) in the women’s game.
An overhaul of the nation’s football structure in 2009 included a focus on improving the women’s game at the grassroots level, encouraging young girls to take up the sport; a women’s football academy was subsequently created with players receiving access to the same facilities as the men’s national team.
In 2020, the FRMF announced the creation of a two-tier women's professional league, the first of its kind in the world.
Allied to the success of the women's national team, the North Africans have everything in place to become a powerhouse on the continent.
“It’s just amazing to represent that side of the world,” Ayane added.
“There’s a lot of talent in Morocco, and they’ll eventually be picked up and spotted but I’m so proud to be flying the flag for Morocco, for Africa as a continent and for other countries that don’t necessarily get the recognition sometimes that they deserve.”
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: The chance to write more Moroccan football history
The clock is counting down to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with over 650,000 tickets having been sold for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand which starts on 20 July.
Having made such an impression with their historic qualification, the Atlas Lionesses can take inspiration from their male counterparts who became Africa's first World Cup semi-finalists last year in Qatar.
Grouped with two-time champions Germany, Republic of Korea and Colombia, Morocco will not find life easy but they hope they can follow the example of Walid Regragui and his charges who finished top of their group despite being big outsiders.
And as well as trying to make the knockout stages, Ayane is keenly aware of the impact that she and her teammates can make on women back in Morocco in letting them know that football is for everyone.
"It’s been an incredible time for the country; for Arab women; for Arab women in sport," the striker said to Sky.
“Sometimes, I really need to take a step back and actually look at what we’ve achieved because sometimes I can’t put it into words. So, it’s been a real journey and one that I’m going to be proud of for the rest of my life."