When last year’s participation in the finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ensured their placement in the World Cup, Moroccan women footballers emphasized the promotion of national culture as the primary goal of participating in the global competition. The players from North Africa went to the tournament in Australia without any result obligation, and it really seemed that their chances of qualifying further were practically non-existent after the opening defeat against Germany 6-0.The fact that the second-round match against South Korea on July 30 will be written in the history books was clear just by looking at the starting line-up of the Atlas Lionesses and at one girl in the back line. When coach Reynald Pedros included her in the team for the match against Colombia, Nouhaila Benzina became the first player in the history of the World Cup to wear a hijab in a match of the World Cup. In 2014, FIFA approved the wearing of the headscarf for religious reasons, and nine years later this rule was put into practice for the first time. This summer, Morocco became the first country in which the majority of the population is of the Islamic denomination to play in the Women’s World Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_7417117##The triumph against the Asian team 1-0 gave the African women a slim chance to make it to the elimination round. And then a real miracle happened… Since Germany, one of the strongest national teams in the world, failed to beat a written-off South Korea, a one-nil win against Colombia was enough for the Moroccans to win second place in the group and reach the round of 16. Benzina became globally famous after that match, and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, contributed to this, personally congratulating her and her team for qualifying among the 16 best in the world.The first man of FIFA came down to the field of the stadium in Perth right after the end of the third-round duel and shook hands with the footballer who in the last few days is most responsible for changing the perception of women’s sports among many of her compatriots, and people from the Arab and Islamic world in general.Nouhaila Benzina felicitée par Gianni Infantino en personne. 🫂🧕🏽🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/gJgSFSEuIM— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) August 3, 2023 Benzina is 25 years old, but she has never spoken to the media, and it is unlikely that anything will change in that regard, no matter how successful she is in sports, given her principles in life, and the only right thing would be to respect that decision. However, the member of AS FAR (short for: Sports Association of the Royal Armed Forces) is active on Instagram and this is how she interacts with fans, while Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak sometimes conveys Benzina’s words:”She is very happy that she is spreading the culture of our country and people in the most beautiful way. FIFA established a rule thanks to which she was able to play at this World Cup and make history,” 32-year-old Chebbak said with excitement.Today at (2 PM EAT) Morocco will play a round of 16 match against the absolute favorite France, with the bench led by the recent coach of the men’s national team of Saudi Arabia, Hervé Renard. The fact that the experienced expert led the Morocco men’s team at the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and previously won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast gives the game an additional interest, so now he has a chance to achieve a unique achievement if he wins the world championship title with the French ladies.The European team won seven points in the group stage, started with a draw against Jamaica, and then defeated Brazil and Panama. Kadidiatou Diani stood out with a hat trick against Panama, and the biggest strengths will be the well-known faces of Eugénie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard. The winner of the France-Morocco match will meet the host Australia in the quarter-finals.##NAJAVA_MECA_7417104##Earlier at 11 AM EAT, Colombia and Jamaica meet at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Both national teams are playing for history, as they have never played in the quarter-finals before. Moreover, this will be the Caribbean team’s first participation in the round of 16, while Colombia was already in the top 16 in 2015. Jamaica did not concede a goal in the group stage, Rebecca Spencer remained unbeaten, and the defensive rampart in front of her goal was made up of sisters Allyson and Chantelle Swaby. The achievement is all the greater when it is known that they did not concede a goal in the matches against Brazil and France, two offensively potent teams.Las Cafeteras triumphed against South Korea and Germany, and despite losing to Morocco, won first place in the group due to a better goal difference. The Colombians are pinning their hopes on the super-talented 18-year-old Real Madrid player Linda Caicedo and the heroine of the victory against Germany, Manuela Vanegas. The better of the duel between Colombia and Jamaica will meet England in the quarter-finals.