Morocco U17 Team Reaches AFCON Final After Dramatic Penalty Shootout Win Over Mali

16 May 2023 – bySylvanus@Bladi · 1 min read

The Lionceaux of the Atlas qualified for the final of the 14th edition of the African Cup of Nations for Under-17s (U17 AFCON) by eliminating Mali in a penalty shootout (6-5). Said Chiba, coach of the U17 national team, says he is proud of his players who "fought like big ones."

"The little ones fought like big ones. I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished. And I think the whole country is proud of them. It wasn’t easy to qualify at the expense of a strong team. We had to dig deep to deserve this qualification," Said Chiba said at the post-match press conference. According to him, the players showed great maturity, despite their young age. "We needed the necessary resources to win this game. I think this kind of game will allow the players to improve their physique in the future," he added.

To read:

Morocco will face Senegal in the final on Friday in Algiers, in an attempt to win the first U17 AFCON in its history.

Category: Sport

Keywords:

Football Africa Cup of Nations Mali Morocco U17 Team