Morocco began their U-17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a stellar note as they emphatically defeated Uganda 5-0 at the El Bachir Stadium on Monday. The win sees the home side at the top of the Group A standings.
Ilies Belmokhtar was the standout performer with the 16-year-old scoring a brace in the first half as well as being awarded the Man of the Match award, announcing his arrival on the continental stage with an impressive display.
The Moroccans dominated play in the first 45 minutes, scoring a total of four goals. Belmokhtar opened the scoring as early as the third minute after receiving a great pass which served as an assist from Abdellah Ouazane. Driss Ait Cheikh doubled the lead in the eighth minute and Ziyad Baha Abelhadj also got his name on the scoresheet, scoring from the spot in the 23rd minute after the young Atlas Lions were awarded a penalty after a VAR review.
The home team dominated in possession and ran rampant throughout as the Ugandan Cubs battled to keep possession long enough to cause a significant threat, although they did manage to get a decent amount of shots on goal. Belmokhtar completed his brace in the 32nd minute with a solo effort as the home team went into half-time having enjoyed 67% of possession and scoring four of their six first-half chances, showing their precision.
After much one-way traffic in the first half, the Ugandans held their ground better in the second period and did not concede another goal well into the 70th minute. Simon Wanyama came close to pulling one back, but was denied by Moroccan goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch. The youthful Lions scored their fifth through Ziyad Baha Abelhadj who grabbed his second, this time from open play after taking advantage of a defensive error by Ashraf Lukyamuzi.
Meanwhile, South Africa opened their 2025 U17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) account with a thrilling 4-3 win over Egypt in Group B at the Laarbi Zaouili Stadium in Casablanca on the same day. South Africa took an early lead in the opening seconds through Simphiwe Mlondo from an Emile Witbooi assist.
The lead didn’t stand long as the Egyptians equalised five minutes later through Anas Roshdy. Roshdy completed a brace eight minutes from that with a bicycle kick to give his side a lead for the first time in the game. The young Pharaohs exploited South Africa’s poor defense with Hamza Abdelkerem smashing an open net to triple the lead in the 18th minute.
Amajimbos fought back and forced their opponents to make mistakes in the box and give away two penalties that Neo Bohloko converted in the 30th and 40th minutes, respectively, to make it 3-3. Witbooi wasted a golden chance to put Amajimbos in the lead just before half-time.
The opening 10 minutes of the second half didn’t produce as much fireworks as the opening stanza did. Towards the hour mark, Egypt’s Belal Attia headed off target and had a goal disallowed. Witbooi also had a shot on target in the 64th minute but it was an easy save by the Egyptian goalkeeper.
But South Africa regained the lead in the 70th when Bohloko set up Witbooi who was composed in his finish. Amajimbos, Angola, and Zambia are the three sides from the COSAFA region at the tournament also used as a 2025 U17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Initially, 12 sides were to take part in the tournament; however, CAF extended the number of participants to 16 countries which opened space for Amajimbos. Their next match is against Cameroon, who lost 2-1 to Burkina Faso in the group opener in an earlier kick-off on Thursday and will conclude their group stage action against the Burkinabe on Sunday.
Amajimbos coach Khumalo expressed confidence in his team’s abilities, stating, "I think we are very clear with our players to say, as much as everyone is saying it's a group of death, we are happy that we are counted as one of the best in that group as well." He emphasized the importance of showcasing their talent and the desire to qualify for the World Cup.
As of this year, the U17 FIFA World Cup will be an annual event, with 48 teams participating, and Khumalo believes that reaching that level would be a massive achievement for his players. "For me, as a coach, the profile would also be looking good and the experience will be there to say we have been in the World Cup and we have been at AFCON, that augurs well for the development of a coach and a player," he added.
Both Morocco and South Africa have made strong starts in their respective groups, setting the stage for an exciting tournament ahead. With the competition heating up, fans can expect thrilling matches as teams vie for a spot in the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year in Qatar.
