Morocco secured their first-ever U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Mali on home soil Saturday.
The tightly contested final at El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia ended goalless after 90 minutes, but the hosts held their nerve during the shootout. A classy ‘Panenka’ from Ilies Belmokhtar sealed the historic win and sent home fans into wild celebrations.
Goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouche was instrumental in Morocco’s triumph, pulling off two crucial saves during the penalties to deny the two-time champions.
The final was a tense affair, with both teams enjoying spells of dominance. Mali thought they had broken the deadlock in the first half when Soumaila Fane slotted in from close range, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review which showed a handball in the build-up.
Morocco came close just before halftime when Ziyad Baha directed a low effort toward the bottom corner, only to be denied by an impressive save from Lamine Sinaba.
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Mali returned stronger in the second half and forced Bellaarouche into action again, with Seydou Dembele drawing a key save early in the half. The Moroccan goalkeeper remained alert throughout as Mali applied consistent pressure in search of a winner.
Despite their efforts, neither side could find a breakthrough in regulation time. The decisive moment came in the shootout as Baha, Zakari El Khalfioui, Amine Ouahabi, and Belmokhtar all converted their spot-kicks with poise.
Head coach Nabil Baha commended his players’ discipline and resilience throughout the tournament. Morocco’s defensive organization stood out across all their matches, with the team conceding only one goal throughout the competition.
The result marked heartbreak for Mali in their fifth final at this level, as they fell short of adding a third title to their 2015 and 2017 triumphs.
The top nine teams, including Morocco and Mali, have secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup set to take place in Qatar this November.
Crediblenewsng.com
