Mauritania women's national football team

The Mauritania women's national football team (Arabic: منتخب موريتانيا لكرة القدم للسيدات, French: Équipe Nationale féminine de football de Mauritanie) represents Mauritania in international women's football and is controlled by the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (FFIRM). The team played its first international match in 2019 as a friendly against Djibouti in which they lost three to one. Fatou Dioup scored Mauritania's first international goal.

Mauritania
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Mourabitounes
AssociationFootball Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachAbdoulaye Diallo
CaptainFatou Dioup
Top scorerFatou Dioup (1)
FIFA codeMTN
FIFA ranking
CurrentNR (15 March 2024)[1]
First international
 Djibouti 3–1 Mauritania 
(Nouakchott, Mauritania; 30 July 2019)[2]
Biggest defeat
 Mauritania 0–7 Tanzania 
(Le Kram, Tunisia; 14 February 2020)
WAFU Zone A Women's Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2023)
Best resultGroup Stage (2023)

History edit

The team edit

In 1985, almost no country in the world had a women's national football team,[3] including Mauritania who did not play in a single FIFA sanctioned match between 1950 and June 2012.[4] The country did not have a FIFA recognised national senior or junior team in 2006,[5] and was unchanged in 2009.[6] In 2010, the country did not have a team competing in the African Women's Championships during the preliminary rounds.[7] The country did not have a team competing at the 2011 All Africa Games.[8] In March 2012, the team was not ranked in the world by FIFA.[9]

Federation edit

The national association, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, was founded in 1961 and became a FIFA affiliate in 1964.[5][10] Women's football is not represented by rule in the federation and they do not employ anyone specifically to manage the women's football.[5] The federation has not participated in any FIFA sanctioned training courses for women's football.[6] Most of the funding for women's football in the country and for the women's national team comes from FIFA, not the national football association.[11]

Background and development edit

Football is the second most popular women's sport in the country, behind basketball which is number one.[5] In 2006, there were 100 registered female football players in the country, the first time such numbers were tracked.[5] Opportunities for play are limited as there are only four women's football teams in the country, women's football is not organised at schools, and mixed football is not allowed.[5]

The lack of development of the national team on a wider international level is symptomatic of wider problems on the continent, including limited access to education, poverty amongst women in the wider society, and fundamental inequality present in the society (especially present in Muslim-majority religious state countries, Mauritania being one such country) that occasionally allows for female-specific human rights abuses.[12] Early development of the women's game at the time colonial powers brought football to the continent was limited as colonial powers in the region tended to take make concepts of patriarchy and women's participation in sport with them to local cultures that had similar concepts already embedded in them.[13] Continent wide, if quality female football players do develop, they leave for greater opportunities abroad.[11] Future, success for women's football in Africa is dependent on improved facilities and access by women to these facilities. Attempting to commercialise the game and make it commercially is not the solution, as demonstrated by the many youth and women's football camps held on the continent.[13]

Team image edit

Nicknames edit

The Mauritania women's national football team have been nicknamed the "Mourabitounes".

Results and fixtures edit

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2023 edit

22 January 2023 (2023-01-22) 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup GS Guinea-Bissau   1–0   Mauritania Sal, Cape Verde
16:00 Paulo Mendes   55' Report (FCF) Stadium: Estádio Marcelo Leitão
24 January 2023 (2023-01-24) 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup GS Mauritania   0–6   Cape Verde Sal, Cape Verde
16:00 Report (FCF)
Stadium: Estádio Marcelo Leitão
Referee: Ngum Fatou (Gambia)

Coaching staff edit

Current coaching staff edit

As of 2 December 2023
Position Name Ref.
Head coach   Jordi Arimany [14]

Manager history edit

Players edit

Current squad edit

The following list is the final squad for 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup in January 2023.[15]

Caps and goals accurate up to and including 9 July 2021.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Salimat Samba   FC Camara
1GK Ramatoulaye Diallo   ASC Aizer

2DF Coumba Sy   FC Camara
2DF Coumba Gueye   FC Camara
2DF Funmilayo Adebisi Adiara   ASC Aizer
2DF Aichetou Boilil   FC Thierno
2DF Aida Ba   ASAC Concorde

3MF Haby N'Diaye   FC Camara
3MF Fatou Dioup (captain) (1994-05-05) 5 May 1994 (age 29) 1   ASSA Zag
3MF Hawa Dialo   ASC Aizer
3MF El Alia Mouhamed   FC Camara
3MF Leila Blal   FC Camara
3MF Ramata Guengui   FC Camara
3MF Fatimata Anne   ASSA Zag

4FW Tacko Diabira   Dakkar Scaré-coeur
4FW Zeinebo Ahmed (1995-11-28) 28 November 1995 (age 28)   FC Thierno
4FW Aghlahoum M'Haimid   FC Camara

Rougui Dia  

Recent call-ups edit

The following players have been called up to a Mauritania squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up






INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
SUS Player is serving a suspension.
WD Player withdrew for personal reasons.

Previous squads edit

  • First match selection[16]
WAFU Zone A Women's Cup

Records edit

*Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2021.

Competitive record edit

FIFA Women's World Cup edit

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA GD
  1991 to   2015 did not exist
  2019 did not enter
   2023 Did not qualify
Total 0/1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games edit

Summer Olympics record
Year Result Pld W D* L GS GA GD
  1996 to   2016 did not exist
  2020 did not enter
Total 0/7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Africa Women Cup of Nations edit

Africa Women Cup of Nations record
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA GD
1991 to   2018 did not exist
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  2022 Did not qualify
  2024 Did not enter
Total 0/2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games edit

African Games record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA GD
  2003 to   2015 Did Not exist
  2019 Did not qualify
  2023 to be determined
Total 0/4 0 0 0 0 0 0

WAFU Women's Cup record edit

WAFU Zone A Women's Cup
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
  2020 did not enter
  2023 Groupe stage 6 2 0 0 2 0 7
Total - 1/2 2 0 0 2 0 7

Arab Women's Championship edit

Arab Women's Championship record
Appearances: 1
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA GD
  2006 Did Not exist
  2021 did not enter
Total Third 2/2 10 4 3 3 33 12 +21

All−time record against FIFA recognized nations edit

The list shown below shows the Tunisia national football team all−time international record against opposing nations.

Key
  Positive balance (more wins than losses)
  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
  Negative balance (more losses than wins)
Against Pld W D L GF GA GD Confederation
  Tanzania 1 0 0 1 0 7 −7 CAF
  Guinea-Bissau 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 CAF
  Algeria 1 0 0 1 0 5 −5 CAF
  Morocco 1 0 0 1 0 5 −5 CAF
  Tunisia 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 CAF
  Djibouti 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 CAF

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Sélections : Première sortie officielle des Féminines". Fédération de Footbal de la Mauritanie (in French). 23 July 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ Chrös McDougall (1 January 2012). Soccer. ABDO. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-61783-146-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Mauritania : Fixtures and Results". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Women's Football Today" (PDF). FIFA. 2006. p. 128. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Goal! Football: Mauritania" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Fixtures – African Women Championship 2010 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  8. ^ "Groups & standings – All Africa Games women 2011 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  9. ^ "The FIFA Women's World Ranking". FIFA.com. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  10. ^ "Goal! Football: Mauritania" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  11. ^ a b Gabriel Kuhn (24 February 2011). Soccer Vs. the State: Tackling Football and Radical Politics. PM Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-60486-053-5. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  12. ^ Jean Williams (15 December 2007). A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-84520-674-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  13. ^ a b Peter Alegi (2 March 2010). African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-278-0. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  14. ^ "JORDI ARIMANY, NOUVEAU SÉLECTIONNEUR DE L'ÉQUIPE FÉMININE" [Jordi Arimany, New head coach of the women's team]. ffrim.org (in French). FFIRM. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  15. ^ @karlyboy71 (22 January 2023). "WAFU Zone a women's tournament Guinée-Bissau v Mauritania Line ups" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 March 2024 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Football Féminin : Abdoulaye Diallo à dévoilé sa sélection pour le match amical contre le DJIBOUTI ET le tournoi international du COTIF". 29 July 2019.

External links edit