Mauritania women's national football team

The Mauritania women's national football team (, ) 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 Diop scored Mauritania's first international goal.

History The team Mauritania did not play in a single FIFA sanctioned match between 1950 and June 2012. The country did not have a FIFA recognised national senior or junior team in 2006, and was unchanged in 2009. In 2010, the country did not have a team competing in the African Women's Championships during the preliminary rounds. The country did not have a team competing at the 2011 All Africa Games. In March 2012, the team was not ranked in the world by FIFA.

Federation The national association, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, was founded in 1961 and became a FIFA affiliate in 1964. Women's football is not represented by rule in the federation and they do not employ anyone specifically to manage the women's football. The federation has not participated in any FIFA sanctioned training courses for women's football. 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.

Background and development Football is the second most popular women's sport in the country, behind basketball which is number one. In 2006, there were 100 registered female football players in the country, the first time such numbers were tracked. 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.

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. 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. Continent wide, if quality female football players do develop, they leave for greater opportunities abroad. 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.

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

Results and fixtures

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

2026

Coaching staff Current coaching staff

Position Name Ref. Head coach Jordi Arimany

Manager history Abdallahi Diallo (2019–2023) Jordi Arimany (2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following list is the final squad for 2025 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup announced on 20 May 2025.

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

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

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 First match selection WAFU Zone A Women's Cup 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup squads

Records

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

Most capped players

#PlayerYear(s)Caps

Top goalscorers updated 14/09/2026 #PlayerYear(s)Goals1 Tacko Diabira 2019–present 52 Fatou Diop 2019–present 2 Ramata Gangué 2019–present 2 Leila Bilal 2019–present 25 Ghaiba Fall 2019–present 1

Competitive record FIFA Women's World Cup recordYearResult*SquadCoach 1991 to 2019Did not exist 2023Did not qualify 2027To be determined 2031To be determined 2035To be determinedTotal0/1–––––––— *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games Summer Olympics recordYearResult* 1996 to 2016Did not exist 2020 to 2024Did not enter Total0/80000000 *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Africa Women Cup of Nations Africa Women Cup of Nations recordYearRoundGPWD*LGSGAGD1991 to 2018Did not exist 2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Africa 2022Did not qualify 2024Did not enterTotal0/20000000 *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games African Games recordYearResultMatchesWins DrawsLosesGFGAGD 2003 to 2015Did not exist 2019Did not qualify 2023WithdrewTotal0/40000000

WAFU Women's Cup record recordYearResult*SquadCoach 2020Did not enter 2023Group stage200207−7SquadAbdoulaye Diallo 2025Group stage311136−3Squad Jordi ArimanyTotal2/35113313−10—

Arab Women's Championship

Arab Women's Championship recordAppearances: 1YearRoundPosition 2006Did not exist 2021Did not enterTotalThird 2/2104333312+21

All−time record against FIFA recognized nations Key

The following table shows Mauritania' all-time official international record per opponent: OpponentConfederation100105−50CAF100106−60CAF100113−20CAF410323−125CAF100108−80CAF10101100CAF100105−50CAF100105−50CAF110010+1100AFC100107−70CAF100103−30CAF110060+6100CONCACAFTotal1531111146−3320— Last updated: Turks and Caicos Islands v Mauritania, 16 April 2026.

Mauritania women's national football team

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