Morocco’s U20 side booked their place in the semi-finals of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations and secured qualification for the 2025 U20 World Cup in Chile with a hard-fought 1-0 extra-time victory over Sierra Leone on Monday in Cairo.
Yet, despite the historic result, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi expressed rare and visible frustration with his team’s performance.
The narrow win came after a tightly contested quarter-final that remained goalless after 90 minutes. In a match lacking rhythm and attacking fluidity, it was Ilias Bouamassoudi who finally broke the deadlock in extra time, firing Morocco into the last four and marking their first qualification for a U20 World Cup since 2005.
Although visibly relieved by the outcome, Ouahbi did not hide his displeasure over the way his side started the game. Speaking after the final whistle, the coach—who has been in charge of the Moroccan U20s since 2022—praised the overall result but criticised the team’s lacklustre first-half display.
“It’s a well-deserved win. We could have wrapped it up in regular time,” he said. “It was a difficult match, as we expected, but we made it harder than it needed to be.”
The coach’s anger was particularly aimed at his side’s hesitant and disjointed play in the opening 45 minutes.
“It’s probably the angriest I’ve been in two years,” Ouahbi admitted. “We had the chance to build from the back, play with control, but we didn’t do that. We invited pressure and put ourselves in trouble unnecessarily.”
His frustration appeared to resonate in the dressing room, as the team emerged with renewed composure and energy in the second half. Morocco began to control possession, tightened defensively, and started to probe Sierra Leone with greater purpose.
“In the second half, we were much better. We stayed organised, showed patience, and created space. That was the team I recognised,” said Ouahbi. “We made the right adjustments, and in the end, our persistence paid off.”
With the win, Morocco now turns its attention to a semi-final clash against host nation Egypt on Thursday, 15 May at 18:00 GMT. The meeting promises to be a fierce contest between two familiar opponents. The young Atlas Lions already have a psychological edge, having defeated Egypt 2-1 during the qualifiers.
“They’re a physical, disciplined team with a lot of personality. Even when they’re not dominating, they can hurt you,” warned Ouahbi. “But we fear no one. We’ll stay focused on our game, play to our strengths, and fight for the final.”
Despite the coach’s stern words, Monday’s triumph represents a significant achievement for Moroccan youth football. The team’s resilience in overcoming a tough opponent under pressure highlights their growth and ambition under Ouahbi’s leadership.
As they prepare for a high-stakes battle against the host nation, the Moroccan squad will need to combine the discipline shown in extra time with a sharper start to avoid repeating the mistakes that infuriated their coach in the quarter-final.
Morocco marches on—proud, qualified, and with a point to prove
