Morocco’s Mohammed VI Football Academy bowed out of the Al-Kass International Cup with pride after a 3-1 defeat by FC Barcelona in the semi-final in Doha, bringing an end to a promising run in one of youth football’s most prestigious tournaments.
The Under-18 side were beaten on Monday at the Mansour Stadium, inside the Aspire Academy complex, after Barcelona’s clinical second-half display settled a contest that had been finely balanced for long periods.
The Spanish club made an assertive start and took the lead early on when Hugo Lugnás struck from outside the penalty area, his powerful effort giving Barcelona the advantage in the eighth minute.
The Moroccan academy responded with composure and quality, drawing level seven minutes later through Elyas El Bayan, whose curling shot found the top corner of the net and briefly shifted the momentum of the match.
That equaliser underlined the competitiveness of the first half, during which the Mohammed VI Academy matched their illustrious opponents for intensity and organisation.
However, Barcelona’s efficiency told after the break. In the space of two minutes, the Catalan side moved decisively ahead.
Ruslan Hernando restored their lead in the 59th minute by converting a cross, before Lugnás struck again moments later to make it 3-1 with a similar finish.
Any hopes of a late comeback were further diminished when the Moroccan side were reduced to ten men late on.
Wadiî Aznass was sent off in stoppage time following a challenge on Barcelona player Ahmed El Barkan, leaving his team to finish the match with a numerical disadvantage.
Speaking after the game, Mohammed VI Academy coach Khalid Skatt praised his players’ attitude and performance despite the result.
He stressed that the opening half had been evenly contested and that his team had shown they could compete against opponents of the highest quality.
“This tournament gives us the chance to face very high-level teams,” Skatt said, adding that the encounter with Barcelona was an enriching experience for a generation expected to measure itself against elite young players.
He also pointed to matches against other academies, including Aspire, as valuable steps in the players’ development.
The coach underlined that every fixture played in the competition represented an important learning opportunity and said the lessons gained would be used to support the continued progress of this age group.
The Al-Kass International Cup continues on Tuesday with placement matches at the Mansour Miftah Stadium.
Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol face Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the fifth-place play-off, while Rangers of Scotland meet PVF Academy in the match for seventh.
The tournament, which brings together leading youth academies from around the world, is designed to showcase emerging talent and provide young players with exposure to elite-level competition.
