Morocco’s women’s team have reached the third round of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic football tournament without playing, after Congo-Brazzaville withdrew from the competition.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday by the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), shortly before Morocco were due to begin their campaign. As one of Africa’s seeded teams, Morocco had been scheduled to enter the qualifiers in the second round against Congo-Brazzaville.
Although the withdrawal secures progress, it also denies Morocco the chance to regain momentum following their latest disappointment at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations. The team were eliminated in the semi-finals of the tournament on home soil in August, and the planned tie would have offered them an opportunity to move on from that result and begin a fresh phase.
Morocco would have been strong favourites against Congo-Brazzaville, meaning qualification was widely expected unless there was a major upset. However, the cancellation could prove costly with a difficult meeting against Nigeria awaiting them at the start of 2027.
Morocco are aiming to go further than they did in qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, when their campaign ended with defeat by Zambia in the final qualifying round.
The FRMF appeared to have anticipated the possibility of Congo-Brazzaville’s withdrawal. No squad had been announced for the tie, so Morocco’s players are expected to remain with their clubs during the international break rather than assemble for the scheduled fixtures.
The federation will instead use the extended period to make decisions behind the scenes, with the position of head coach Jorge Vilda under increasing scrutiny.
Vilda is reported by Le360 to have been told that his time in charge is over, although an official announcement has yet to be made. His position has been weakened by Morocco’s latest failure at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations and the perception that the team have regressed.
A French coach is reportedly being considered as his replacement, with Eric Blahic’s name having emerged in recent days. Blahic previously worked as an assistant to Herve Renard with the France women’s team.
The timing of the Congo-Brazzaville withdrawal therefore gives the FRMF additional time to review the team’s direction before the next major challenge in the Olympic qualifying campaign.