Madar (Rabat) - Morocco's under-17 women's team beat New Zealand 4-0 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in their opening Group A match at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup being hosted by Morocco, according to Hespress and Le360 Sport.
After an even first half, Sonia Abaijou opened the scoring in the 57th minute, New Zealand defender Eden Chaytor turned the ball into her own net in the 70th, Imane Dhissi added a third in the 76th and Hiba Youssoufi completed the rout from the penalty spot in the 82nd, Hespress reported.
The match was played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Youth, Culture and Communication Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, according to Le360 Sport.
The win puts Morocco top of Group A on three points, level with Germany, who beat Argentina 2-1. The two sides meet on Tuesday, October 20, in the second round of matches. In Group B, North Korea routed Puerto Rico 6-0.
The 10th edition of the tournament runs in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, under an agreement giving the kingdom five consecutive editions. The top two in each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams reach the round of 16, Hespress said.
