Will Moroccan women's soccer team receive equal support? insights from recent survey

As the Women’s World Cup opens, the Moroccan women’s soccer team finds itself at the center of a pressing question: Will they receive the same support from their nation as their male counterparts? 

A recent survey conducted on Hespress EN’s Instagram story revealed that the majority of respondents are not willing to extend the same level of support to the women’s team.

The questionnaire, launched yesterday, asked “Will the Atlas Lioness receive the same support as their male counterparts?” The results were telling, with a notable 57.14% of respondents stating they would not support the women’s team in the same manner.

In contrast, only 35.71% of respondents expressed their willingness to back the Atlas Lionesses with the same enthusiasm shown towards the male national team in the Qatar World Cup in 2022. A smaller fraction of 7.14% remained undecided or unsure about extending their answers.

One male respondent who chose not to support the women’s team justified his decision, citing cultural reasons and suggesting that the level of entertainment provided by women’s soccer was inferior. He stated, “Well, of course not. It doesn’t rhyme well with our culture, and the entertainment is just worse.”

Interestingly, a separate poll conducted just before this survey posed the question, “Will you follow the Atlas Lionesses’ World Cup run?” 

In this case, a more substantial majority, 65%, affirmed their intention to follow and support the women’s team during their World Cup journey, while the remaining 35% expressed a lack of interest.

As the Women’s World Cup match against Germany to take place on Monday 24 approaches, the different reactions from the respondents highlight questions about gender equality in sports and shed light on a long-standing issue.

The majority’s unwillingness to support the women’s squad suggests underlying sexist cultural beliefs even though a sizeable portion of respondents seem eager to do so.

With the Atlas Lionesses preparing to compete in the prestigious international competition, the spotlight is not only on their athletic abilities but also on the societal attitudes that may shape their journey, which comes from the Qatar World Cup effect, which has put Morocco as a nation under never seen spotlight.

It is still unclear how the team’s performance and the greater conversation about gender equity and equality in Moroccan football will be impacted during this year’s games.