Morocco U20 captain Houssam Essadak has stressed that the team is eager to beat South Africa U20 in the 2025 CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals to clinch the trophy.
Morocco and South Africa’s youth national teams will clash on Sunday, May 18, in Egypt to battle for the ultimate prize at the 2025 U20 AFCON.
Looking ahead to the game, Houssam Essadak said the target of Morocco is to go home with the U20 AFCON after booking qualification to the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
“We came to this tournament with two clear goals. One was to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, and we achieved that. But our ultimate goal is to win this trophy. That’s what the fans want, what our president asked of us, and what we promised ourselves,” Houssam Essadak said.
He continued, “This cup feels very close. The way we’ve grown from one game to the next, the way we’ve stuck together and shown belief—it gives us real confidence going into the final. We’re not done yet. We’ve taken big steps, but the biggest one is still ahead.”
The final of the U20 AFCON between Morocco and South Africa is scheduled to kick off at 6 pm at Cairo International Stadium.
