Moroccan Women's Championship
The Moroccan Women's Championship, or Botola Pro Féminine, is the top tier of women's club football in Morocco. Run by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), it features elite sides like Olympique Club de Khouribga, AS FAR, and Moghreb Tétouan vying for supremacy. Launched in 2008, the league has grown amid rising interest in women's soccer in a nation long focused on men's game.
History and foundation
Kicking off in 2008, the league gained momentum in the 2020s with Morocco's women's national team reaching the 2023 World Cup quarterfinals—the first African side to do so. A highlight: AS FAR's 2022 triumph in the UAFA Club Championship final. Post-pandemic restarts saw expansion to 16 teams in 2023/24, boosting rivalry and attendance.
Tournament format
The format entails a double round-robin season: 30 matches per team, home and away. Leaders claim the title and UAFA spots; bottom clubs face relegation to Division 2. Running September to May, recent seasons introduced VAR for high-stakes games, enhancing fairness and excitement.
Interesting facts
Matches average 2.5–3 goals, favoring quick counters and set pieces. Top scorers include Fatima Bent Shakir (AS FAR, 45 goals over three years) and Iman Haddadi (Khénifra, 28 in 2023/24). Standouts: AS FAR skipper Sandra Naouri, a dribbling wizard, and keeper Iman El Haddadi, clutch in UAFA shootouts. The league feeds talents to the national team stars of World Cup fame.