The Moroccan U-20 national team will face South Africa in the final of the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Cairo’s 30 June Stadium, in a highly anticipated match broadcast live on several channels including Morocco’s Al Aoula TNT and beIN Sports.
The Atlas cubs earned their spot in the final after a disciplined 1-0 victory over hosts Egypt, with Younes Abdellawi netting the decisive goal in the 76th minute. South Africa advanced with an identical result against Nigeria, setting up a heavyweight clash between two of the tournament’s most consistent teams.
In their final training session held Saturday at Cleopatra Ceramica Stadium, Morocco’s coach Mohamed Ouahbi focused on fine-tuning tactics and boosting the squad’s mental readiness.
“We play with our identity, confident and calm. We don’t change who we are at this stage,” Ouahbi affirmed, adding, “South Africa are well-organized, technically strong, and tactically disciplined. It’s a real challenge.”
South Africa’s coach, Raymond Mdaka, acknowledged the quality of the Moroccan side, highlighting their technical prowess and the structural progress of Moroccan football: “We’ve had a tough road, but we’re here. Finals are about details, we’ll need to defend well and be ready to fight.”
Statistically, South Africa holds an edge in physical duels and defensive interventions, while Morocco boasts superior attacking efficiency, converting 15.38% of their chances compared to South Africa’s 14.55%. Notably, six of Morocco’s eight goals have come after the 40th minute, reflecting strong tactical patience and late-match decisiveness.
Morocco, who last won this title in 1997, is chasing a second continental crown. Their journey included topping Group B with seven points, defeating Kenya (3-2) and Tunisia (3-1), and drawing with Nigeria. They later edged Sierra Leone and Egypt 1-0 in the knockout stages, securing not just a final berth but also qualification for the U-20 World Cup in Chile.
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