Morocco’s women’s national team boosted their preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers with a 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan in an international friendly in Rabat.

The Atlas Lionesses recovered from an early setback on Friday, October 9, as striker Ibtissam Jraidi scored a second-half hat-trick to secure victory in Eric Blahic’s first match as head coach.

The result offers an early indication of Morocco’s attacking threat ahead of a possible meeting with Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the next round of the African Olympic qualifying campaign.

However, Nigeria must first overcome Comoros in their two-legged second-round tie before a clash with Morocco can be confirmed.

The Super Falcons claimed a 2-0 victory in the first leg on Friday, putting themselves in a strong position ahead of Tuesday’s return fixture.

Uzbekistan took the lead in the 16th minute through Diyurakhon, forcing the hosts to chase the game after falling behind at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

Morocco responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser but struggled to convert their opportunities before the interval.

The introduction of Jraidi after the break changed the complexion of the contest, with the forward producing a clinical display to turn the deficit into a comfortable victory.

Jraidi levelled the score in the 65th minute before striking again two minutes later to give Morocco a 2-1 advantage.

She completed her hat-trick in the 79th minute, sealing the comeback and handing Blahic a winning start to his tenure as the Atlas Lionesses’ head coach.  

Morocco are scheduled to face Uzbekistan again on Monday at Rabat’s Medina Stadium as preparations continue for their upcoming international assignments.

For Nigeria, the immediate priority remains the return leg against Comoros, where the Super Falcons will seek to protect their first-leg advantage and secure passage into the third round.

Morocco have already advanced to that stage following Congo’s withdrawal from the qualifying competition, leaving the North African side waiting to discover their next opponents.

The third-round fixtures are scheduled for February 23 to March 6, 2027, as African teams continue their pursuit of places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.  

A potential Nigeria-Morocco encounter would bring together two of Africa’s leading women’s football nations in a significant test of their Olympic ambitions.

The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are seeking a return to the Olympic women’s football tournament after missing the Paris 2024 Games.

For now, though, Nigeria must complete the assignment against Comoros before attention can turn to a possible showdown with Morocco.