The Moroccan’s Resounding Victory over New Caledonia as Seen by the International Press

From the first minutes, the Atlas Cubs took total control of the match. Superior in all areas, they were already leading 3–0 after eighteen minutes of play, taking advantage of their speed and a devastating offensive organization. The young Caledonians, courageous but overwhelmed, then saw their situation worsen after two consecutive red cards: Typhan Dreuko in the 22nd minute, then Jean Canehmez in the 31st.

Reduced to nine players, the Cagous lived a nightmarish evening. "Nothing worked," summarizes La Nouvelle-Calédonienne, referring to a first half concluded with a clear 7–0 score. At the restart, Morocco continued to push, scoring almost every five minutes, until reaching an unimaginable final score.

The figures are dizzying. As reported by Marca, Nabil Baha’s players shot 78 times, including 34 on target, without scoring a single penalty. Even better: ten different scorers contributed to this collective demonstration, proof of a balanced and offensive team in all its lines.

Oualid Ibn Salah, Abdelali Eddaoudi, Ziyad Baha, Nahel Haddani, Ismaïl El Aoud and Abdellah Ouazane each scored a brace. Soukrat, El Khalfioui, Hidaoui added their names to the list, while an own goal by defender Andrew completed the picture.

According to Mundo Deportivo, this is a very rare fact: no Moroccan player scored a hat-trick, so evenly distributed were the goals across the entire squad.

An absolute record in the annals of FIFA

With this 16–0, Morocco erases the previous U17 World Cup record held since 1997 by Spain, who won 13–0 against New Zealand in Egypt. As Ouest-France points out, no team had ever scored so many goals in a FIFA final phase, across all categories.

The statistics are impressive: nearly 80 shots attempted, nearly 10 expected goals, seven goals scored in the first half, nine in the second. A performance that will remain in the history of world football, beyond even the U17 category.

After two heavy initial defeats against Japan (0–2) and Portugal (0–6), Morocco had to strike hard to hope for qualification among the best third-placed teams. Objective more than achieved: this monumental victory completely relaunches the Cubs in the race for the round of 16.

Coach Nabil Baha, a former striker who played for Malaga and Ponferradina, praised the mentality of his young players:

"They showed character, discipline and great respect for the jersey. Regardless of the opponent, they played their football to the end," he told the Spanish press.

A page of history for the Moroccan team

For New Caledonia, this match will remain painful. Three days after holding Japan, the Cagous end their World Cup with one point, but above all with the heaviest defeat in the history of the competition. "An evening to forget," notes La Nouvelle-Calédonienne, recalling that the two red cards condemned any hope of resistance.

For Morocco, on the other hand, this victory will remain a symbolic turning point. It consecrates the rise of Moroccan youth football, after the world title of the U20s and the remarkable run of the country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Atlas Cubs offered the African continent a rare demonstration, combining rigor, talent and ambition. And above all, a record that the world of football is not about to forget.