Morocco bow out of Women's World Cup in 20 minutes

Morocco leave the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with their heads held high, even if the final match was not what the players and coach Reynald Pedros had hoped for. 

France got into the game from the start and that caught the Moroccans off guard, as they were unable to defend the attacks from the wings of Hervé Renard's girls. The Moroccans were constantly dribbling and walling to get in on Er-Rmichi's goal, but a poor marking led to Diani's first headed goal of the game.

Dali and Le Somme joined the French party with two more goals that made the game very difficult for Morocco. In just 22 minutes, the Atlas Lionesses had conceded too much, including a serious error on a through ball that resulted in one of the French goals. 

At that point the Moroccans woke up from their lethargy and began to control the game and the French. The pace of the game slowed down and the midfield was the preferred space to move the ball as the minutes ticked by. 

Half-time was the ideal time for Pedros to work the ultimate miracle, but the level of the two teams is far from equal in 45 minutes. 

Morocco held on until the 70th minute when Le Sommer scored another goal, the fourth for France to seal the game in front of a crowd of 13,500 at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide, Australia. 

Australia will be France's opponents in the quarter-finals. One of the hosts will put Renard's side to the test and test the level of French women's football. 

Morocco will be going home with the honour of having made it through the first round, of having scored goals and of showing the world how the North African country's women's sport is well prepared and has been able to break with the past and look to the future with enthusiasm.