Morocco U20 Clinches World Cup Spot with Late AFCON Quarter-Final Win

From the start of the match, the coached team sought to take the lead quickly in order to control the course of the game. The objective was clear: to reach the last four of the AFCON and obtain the ticket for the Chilean World Cup. Facing them, Sierra Leone, in their first participation in this tournament, focused on containing Moroccan attacks while trying to create danger on counter-attacks. Despite several attempts, particularly on long-range shots, Moroccan attackers were met with interventions from the Sierra Leonean goalkeeper. His Moroccan counterpart also remained vigilant against opposing offensives. With no goals scored, both teams went to the locker room with a goalless draw (0-0).

After the break, the physiognomy of the match remained similar, with offensive initiatives on both sides. Both teams tried to find an opening, but the goalkeepers continued to be decisive, preventing any change in the score. Sierra Leone had a clear chance in the 84th minute on a long-range shot, but the Moroccan goalkeeper deflected the ball. Moroccan players maintained their offensive pressure without managing to capitalize, lacking efficiency in finishing. With the score still 0-0 at the end of the 90 minutes of regulation time, extra time became necessary to separate the two teams. Just before that, in the added time of the second half, Sierra Leone was reduced to ten following the expulsion of their player Samba Bah.

During the first period of extra time, despite the intensity maintained by both teams and the search for a decisive goal, neither managed to score, often due to lack of precision in the final touch. The score therefore did not change during these first fifteen additional minutes. The second period of extra time saw both goalkeepers continue their good performances. The decision was finally made in the 115th minute: Ilias Boumassaoudi managed to beat the goalkeeper’s vigilance, scoring the only goal of the game (1-0) and thus giving Morocco the victory and qualification.

Thanks to this result, the Moroccan U20 team advances to the semi-finals of the AFCON Egypt 2025 and validates its participation in the U20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled from September 27 to October 19. For their semi-final, the Atlas Lion Cubs will face the winner of the quarter-final between Egypt and Ghana. This match will take place next Thursday, May 15, at 19:00.