Morocco’s football goddess focused on creating her own legacy
By Ed Emeanua
She is a woman. She is 34-years-old. Most think she’s already well past her prime. But who cares? She’s a late bloomer on the rise and very focused on creating her own history.
Her name is Ghizlane Chebbak, captain extraordinaire of Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses, who is busy these days creating her own legacy and making sure that her name will never be forgotten.
She already commands a folklore image of sort in her native Morocco, but Chebbak’s name and reputation transcends her nations boundaries. The rise of Morocco’s Women’s football cannot be separated from the breakout from obscurity of the Atlas Lionesses skipper to the spotlight of world football.
Morocco reached their first ever final in Women’s football On 26 April, 2006 at the 2006 Arab Women’s Championship, with a 4–2 win over Egypt in the semi-final and falling 1-0 to Algeria in the final.
The Atlas Lionesses made their first appearance on the WAFCON stage after 2006 by virtue of being picked as hosts of the 2022 edition of the tournament. The team has managed a meteoric rise going from a totally unknown footballing nation in the Women’s game to making back-to back WAFCON final appearances.
The Atlas Lionesses has also tucked in a World Cup knockout-phase accomplishment within that time frame. Conspicuous in the lofty rise and transformation of Morocco’s Women’s football is the effervescent personality of Chebbak, the Atlas Lionesses’ inspirational leader.
The Atlas Lionesses is perhaps no stranger to the game, having been surrounded by the allure and success of football from birth. Larbi Chebbak, her father, also played for Morocco and was part of the 1976 Atlas Lions team that captured the nation’s only African Cup of Nation (AFCON) title.
In a culture that defied Women participation in sports, least of all football, Larbi, by his involvement gave her daughter his blessing to pursue her dreams. She has done just that and more.
With her tremendous skills, personality, and incredible leadership, Chebbak has led Morocco’s Women’s national football team into hearts in her nation. With her inspirational leadership, the Atlas Lionesses has converted even diehard deviants into breaking the cultural mold for the sake of national fervor.
This was evidenced on July 26, 2025, when with only 13 minutes spent, the crowd jam packing the 21,000-capacity filled Olympic Stadium in Rabat and venue of Saturday’s final game of the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship, roared into life and celebration.
They had every cause for jubilation. Atlas Lionesses has just shot into a gallant beginning. Their mercurial captain has done it again. As usual, Chebbak has led the charge for her side by scoring the first goal of the 2024 WAFCON final game against Nigeria with a breathtaking shot from well outside the box.
Rifling her curling strike just low enough to ensure that the scudding missile eluded the diving length of Nigeria’s awesome goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, the Atlas Lionesses captain has aroused a national sports support base known for national fervor. “Cheb-bak! Cheb-bak! Cheb-bak!” they roared in appreciation of their beloved team and skipper.
The sublime strike marked her fifth goal of the championship, separating her from only Senegal’s Nguenar Ndiaye, with whom she was jointly tied on 4 strikes before the epic final game with Nigeria. It was also enough to earn her Golden Boots winner of the 2024 WAFCON tournament.
Chebbak continues her streak of milestones never slacking from where she left off after the last WAFCON championship.
By her feats at the just concluded 2024 WAFCON, the Atlas Lionesses captain thus catapults herself into joint two-time winner of the WAFCON Golden Boots (2022, 3 goals) and 2024, 5 goals) with only Genoveva Añonman of Equatorial Guinea (2008, 6 goals) and 2012, 6 goals).
Both are bested by only Perpetua Nkwocha of Nigeria, a 4-time winner of the WAFCON Golden Boot award (2002, 4 goals), (2004, 9 goals), (2006 7 goals), and (2010,11 goals).
However, by winning the 2022 and 2022 Golden Boot title, Chebbak becomes the second women to win the award consecutively tying only Nkwocha of Nigeria, who won the WAFCON Golden Boot award 3 times consecutively in 2002, 2004, and 2006.
Chebbak is also WAFCON Best Player (Golden Ball) award winner in 2022 although she ceded the title to Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria who carted home the prize at the recently concluded WAFCON 2024.
Chebbak (2022) also joins Nkwocha (2004) and Añonman (2012) as the only women to have won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards on the same stage and at the same tournament.
