U17 World Cup: Convincing Victory for Morocco Revives Hopes
The Moroccan U17 national team has revitalized its hopes of advancing to the next round of the U17 World Cup by delivering a stunning performance against New Caledonia, winning with an impressive scoreline of 16 to 0. This match, held on Sunday at Aspire Zone’s Stadium No. 1 in Doha during the third and final day of Group B, witnessed a total domination by the Atlas Lions’ cubs.
With a lineup tailored for this decisive match, the young Moroccans quickly set the pace. In the 3rd minute, Bilal Sokrat opened the scoring, setting the tone for a game tightly controlled by Morocco. Abdelali Eddaoudi followed suit just a minute later (4th), and Ilyas El Arbaoui netted the third goal by the 6th minute. Oualid Ben Saleh then extended the lead in the 11th minute, before scoring a second goal in the 18th minute, assisted by Eddaoudi.
New Caledonia, overwhelmed by Morocco’s relentless pressing, found itself in a difficult position after two consecutive red cards: Typhan Dreuko in the 23rd minute and Jean Canehmez in the 33rd. In numerical superiority, the Lions continued to mount offensive attacks, with further goals from Eddaoudi (41st, 42nd), Ilyas Hidaoui (44th), and Ziad Baha (45+2nd).
Upon returning from halftime, the Moroccan team maintained its aggressive tempo. Zakari El Khalfioui scored in the 48th minute, quickly followed by Ziad Baha in the 50th. Nahel Haddani then scored a brace (56th, 60th), before Abdellah Ouazane (73rd), Steevy Andrew with an own goal (76th), Ismail El Aoud (80th, 90th), and Ouazane again (90+2nd) rounded off this spectacular offensive display.
This resounding victory, expertly managed from start to finish, allows the Moroccan U17 team to demonstrate that their two previous defeats were merely a blip in the road. The Atlas Lions’ cubs have thus delivered a benchmark performance and reignited their ambitions in this World Cup.
