U-17 AFCON
CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off with Morocco-Uganda opener
Hosts Morocco will be up against East African opponents for the first time at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when they clash with Uganda in the opening game of the tournament on Sunday (kick-off 22h00 local time / GMT).
It will be a CECAFA double for the Moroccans on home soil as they face Tanzania in their final pool game too.
Uganda are making their second appearance at the finals in its current guise and will also face North African opposition for the first time, and on the second occasion, they will face the tournament hosts.
In their debut appearance in 2019, they met hosts Tanzania in their second game in Group A, a match they won 3-0 in Dar es Salaam.
Morocco becomes the fourth different nation that Uganda will face at the finals, they have previously met Angola, Nigeria and Tanzania.
The record of the host nation in their first game at the finals reads P14 W6 D1 L7.
The first five hosts between 1995 and 2003, Mali, Botswana, Guinea, Seychelles and Eswatini failed to win their opening game (D1 L4). In this time only Guinea, who drew with Cameroon in their opening game in 1999, avoided defeat.
Gambia were the first hosts to win their opening game, doing so with a 1-0 victory against Burkina Faso.
Thereafter, the next four tournament hosts, Togo in 2007, Algeria in 2009, Rwanda in 2011 and Morocco in 2013, won their opening game.
The biggest loss for a tournament host in their opening game was a 5-0 defeat for Seychelles in 2001 against Cameroon.
In four successive finals between 2005 and 2011, the hosts reached the final. In this run, only Gambia (2005) managed to win the tournament.
MOROCCO FACTS
· Morocco are making their fourth appearance at the finals along with 2013, 2019 and 2023.
· They will be hosting the tournament for a second time after 2013.
· Morocco will be aiming to become the second tournament host after Gambia in 2005 to win on home soil.
· In their debut tournament as hosts in 2013, Morocco ended fourth. In their next appearance in 2019 they were eliminated in the group stages.
· Morocco ended as runners-up at the last edition in Algeria in 2023, losing to Senegal in the final. That was their best showing at the finals.
· Morocco’s record in their opening group game at the finals reads P3 W2 D1 L0.
· Morocco have scored seven goals across their three opening games at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON. They have conceded two goals.
· Overall, Morocco’s group stage record at the CAF U-17 AFCON finals reads P9 W4 D2 L3.
· Morocco’s three biggest wins at the finals have all been by a three-goal margin, two of which came in the 2013 group stages, a 4-1 win over Gabon in their opening game and a 3-0 win over Botswana in their second group game. They also managed a 3-0 win against hosts Algeria in the quarterfinals in 2023.
· Morocco are coached by former Atlas Lions International Nabil Baha, who was appointed at their helm in September 2024.
· Baha is a French-born Moroccan international who represented the Atlas Lions 20 times, making his international debut on the 12th of February 2003 in an international friendly against Senegal.
· Baha has been in charge of the Moroccan U-17 national team for 17 games, his record in these games reads W7 D6 L3. Baha’s team are undefeated in their last five games, winning three games and drawing two.
· Morocco’s highest scoring at a single final was Younes Bnou Marzouk who scored 4 goals when they hosted the tournament in 2013.
UGANDA FACTS
· Uganda’s only previous finals appearance was in 2019, when their neighbours Tanzania were hosts.
· At the 2019 finals Uganda began with a 1-0 loss to Angola in Group A, they then defeated hosts Tanzania 3-0 and drew with Nigeria 1-1 in their final group game. They exited the tournament in the group stage.
· All four of Uganda’s goals at the 2019 finals were scored by different players, they are yet to have a player score multiple goals for them at the finals.
· Uganda qualified for the second finals by winning the CECAFA regional play-off. They began with a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in their first group game then defeated Keny 5-0 in their second group game. They managed to overcome Somalia 4-1 in the Semi-finals and defeated Tanzania in Kampala on the 27th of December 2024 in the final winning 2-1.
· James Bogere top scored for Uganda in the qualifiers, he scored 7 goals netting two hat-tricks in their 5-0 group stage win over Kenya and in their 4-1 Semi-final win over Somalia. He also scored their game-winner in their 2-1 win in the final against Tanzania.
· The Uganda U-17 team are coached by Brian Ssenyondo who assumed the helm in November 2024, three weeks before they began their qualifying campaign against Tanzania.
-CAF
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In one of the most astonishing scorelines in FIFA U-17 World Cup history, Morocco demolished New Caledonia 16-0 to set a new tournament record and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
The Atlas Cubs’ breathtaking display in their final Group B match surpassed Spain’s 13-0 victory over New Zealand — a record that had stood for years — as they relentlessly piled on the goals from start to finish.
New Caledonia’s night turned disastrous early on when Typhan Dreuko and Jean Canehmez were both shown red cards in the first half, leaving the Oceania side with nine men for over an hour. Morocco capitalized mercilessly, turning the match into a goal festival.
Soukrat opened the scoring in the third minute before Oualid Ibn Salah (11’, 18’), Abdelali Eddaoudi (41’, 42’), Hidaoui (44’), Ziyad Baha (45+2’, 50’), El Khalfioui (48’), Nahel Haddani (56’, 59’), Abdellah Ouazane (73’, 90+2’), and Ismail El Aoud (80’, 90’) all found the net. Steevy compounded New Caledonia’s misery with an own goal in the 76th minute.
The result lifted Morocco to third place in Group B, behind Japan and Portugal. They now await confirmation of whether they will progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Midfielder Abdelali Eddaoudi, who bagged a first-half brace and orchestrated Morocco’s attacking rhythm, was deservedly named Player of the Match.
The emphatic win not only restored Morocco’s confidence after earlier setbacks but also underlined Africa’s growing presence in youth football on the global stage.
With their record-breaking triumph, the Atlas Cubs have etched their names into FIFA U-17 World Cup history — a night of goals that will be remembered for generations.
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The U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco drew a scouting frenzy after nearly 200 club scouts descended on stadiums across the country between March 30 and April 19, hoping to snap up the continent’s next big talent.
In a report published on its official website, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) revealed that many scouts from big European clubs were among the crowd, namely from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid. Top African clubs like Wydad, RS Berkane, and Al Ahly also sent talent scouts.
Ex-Ghana international Bernard Kumordzi, now a scout for Genk, was left spotted among the spectators.
“It’s my first U17 AFCON. Honestly, I didn’t expect this level. The set-up, the players, the organisation – top drawer,” said Kumordzi.
He added: “People compare this to past editions, but this one felt different — full of quality and potential. Sure, it can improve, but it’s already a breeding ground for excellence.”
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Morocco were crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history after defeating two-time winners Mali 4-2 on penalties following a tense goalless draw in Saturday’s final at the Stade El Bachir in Mohammedia.
The hosts held their nerve in the shootout with goalkeeper Zakaria Alaoui emerging as the hero, saving two spot-kicks to send the home fans into raptures after a tightly contested final between two of the tournament’s most consistent sides.
The win ends Morocco’s long wait for continental glory at this level, just two years after finishing as runners-up to Senegal.
For Mali, it was heartbreak in their fifth final appearance, despite dominating large portions of the match.
Mali thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half through Fané, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up.
The North Africans responded by tightening their lines, with central defenders Driss Ait Cheikh and Moncef Zekri repelling Mali’s aggressive transitions.
Despite late pressure and a string of set-pieces from the West Africans, the deadlock remained unbroken at full-time.
Penalty drama seals historic win
In the shootout, Morocco converted all four of their spot-kicks with confidence—Ziyad Baha, Zakari El Khalfioui, Amine Ouahabi and Ilies Belmokhtar all finding the net.
Mali’s Issa Koné and Lamine Keita both saw their efforts saved, handing the title to the jubilant hosts.
Coach Nabil Baha, who guided the young Lions with discipline and defensive rigour throughout the tournament, hailed his players’ composure. Morocco conceded just one goal in the entire competition.
Mali, led by Adama Diefla Diallo, had hoped to secure a third U-17 crown after lifting the trophy in 2015 and 2017. But their dreams were dashed by a well-organised and mentally resilient Moroccan side.
Stalemate in regular time
Neither side managed to find a breakthrough in regulation time, although both had chances in an absorbing tactical contest.
Morocco’s Ilies Belmokhtar and Ahmed Mouhoub threatened from range while Mali’s Seydou Dembélé and Soumaila Fané were lively throughout, but their final efforts lacked precision.
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