Morocco’s national under-17 team defeated their Algerian counterpart 3-0 in the quarter-final of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF), and qualifies for the semi-final of the tournament, and the world cup qualifiers, on Wednesday in Constantine, Algeria.
Only 28 minutes into the game, Morocco’s young striker Zakaria Ouazane scored the first goal in the match, tipping the odds in favor of Morocco. The player further cemented the country’s win in the 57th minute with a second goal, followed by Adam chakir in the 86 minute.
Prior to today’s game, Morocco finished at the top of Group B with two back-to-back wins against Nigeria (1-0) and South Africa (2-0) and one loss to Zambia.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s national U-17 football team qualified for the quarterfinals on May 6, after a 1-1 tie with Congo, losing 2-0 to Somalia, and 3-0 to Senegal.
This is not the first time the two teams lock horns in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF).
In 2022, the two teams went head to head in the final stage of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) when Algeria beat Morocco 4-2 in penalties.
The match took place at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine, Algeria.
The leadup to the tournament
Algeria’s continuous hostility towards Morocco overshadowed the Atlas Lions’ participation in the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Algeria kept its airspace closed off to Moroccans. However, officials from Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) have announced that a direct travel route between Rabat and Algeria’s Constantine has been secured for Morocco’s U-17 national football team.
Mohamed Boudrika, an FRMF official, made the announcement on Facebook, stating that a direct line had been secured for the team.
Converging reports indicate that FIFA pressured Algeria into setting politics aside and allowing the team to travel directly to Constantine.
The news comes after controversy surrounding the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was hosted by Algeria. The Moroccan team was not granted authorization to travel directly from Rabat to Constantine, where their group games were scheduled to take place.
Instead, they were required to travel via Tunisia, a proposal which the FRMF rejected, stating that the team would not participate in the competition under those conditions. As a result, Morocco’s team forfeited their participation in the competition, in which they would have been title defenders.
