U17 World Cup: A Rematch Between Morocco and Mali, Uganda Continues Its Steady Progress

U17 World Cup: Morocco’s National U17 Team to Face Mali in Round of 16

The Moroccan national U17 team is set to clash with their Malian counterparts on Tuesday at pitch number 7 in the Aspire Zone, Doha (16:45 GMT+1). This match marks the Round of 16 in the U17 World Cup and brings to mind the previous final of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025). Meanwhile, Uganda, having qualified at the expense of Senegal, will take on Burkina Faso.

The Atlas Lions, who triumphed over the United States in the Round of 16 through a penalty shootout (1-1, 4-3 on penalties), saw their goalkeeper Chouaïb Bellaarouch emerge as a standout performer with two crucial saves that secured Morocco’s place in the next phase. The team faces the challenge of replicating their earlier success against Mali, having defeated them in the Africa Cup of Nations final (0-0, 4-2 on penalties).

This upcoming match will pose a serious test for Nabil Baha’s squad, who are acutely aware of the match’s significance and the implications it holds for their next steps in the tournament. Following the game against the United States, the national coach remarked, “We know our next opponent well; we played and won against them in the Africa Cup of Nations final, but this is a different competition with a different mindset.” He emphasized that “the match against Mali will be difficult, but we will seek victory to continue our journey in this tournament.”

Chouaïb Bellaarouch echoed this sentiment, stating that “the match against Mali will be different,” explaining that “we are up against a different team with a distinct objective and mindset.”

Mali, having eliminated Zambia with a 3-1 victory in the Round of 16, will be eager to exact revenge on the Atlas Lions, who are resolutely focused on advancing further in the Qatari World Cup.

Uganda, riding high after their impressive 1-0 victory over Senegal on Saturday, continues to make headlines in this tournament with their remarkable debut at the World Cup, across all age categories and genders.

The Cranes have achieved notable feats, including a 1-0 win against France (finalists in 2023) to secure their spot in the Round of 16, where they shone against Senegal to advance to the next round.

They will now challenge Burkina Faso, who delivered a stunning surprise in this phase by eliminating reigning champions Germany (2023, Indonesia) with a score of 1-0.

Buoyed by this triumph and their solid performance against Germany, the Young Stallions will spare no effort in their second all-African matchup in the Round of 16.

Here’s the Round of 16 schedule:

• Tuesday, November 18
  • Italy – Uzbekistan
  • Uganda – Burkina Faso
  • Mexico – Portugal
  • Brazil – France
  • Switzerland – Republic of Ireland
  • North Korea – Japan
  • Austria – England
  • Morocco – Mali