Morocco’s youth revolution keeps gathering pace. On Wednesday at Suez Canal Stadium in Egypt, Morocco’s under-20 national team dismantled bitter rivals Algeria 3-1, in the third round of the North African qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations U20, set to be hosted by Ghana.
After being held goalless by Tunisia in their opening fixture, the young Atlas Lions finally found their scoring touch when it mattered most. The breakthrough came early in the second half, when Sami Bouhardane fired Morocco ahead in the 53rd minute. Mohamed Mansef doubled the advantage soon after, and Elias El Haidaoui made it three with a well-placed header just past the hour mark. Algeria pulled one back through Ahmed Niou in the 84th minute, but the goal proved to be nothing more than a consolation as Morocco controlled the closing stages with composure.
The result carries real weight in the standings. Morocco now sits atop the qualifying group with four points from two matches, edging out Algeria, who also have four points but from three games and a weaker goal difference. For a Moroccan side that had stumbled out of the blocks, Wednesday’s performance arrives at exactly the right moment in a campaign that still has two rounds to go.
Those remaining fixtures promise to be decisive. Morocco will face tournament hosts Egypt on October 3, again at Suez Canal Stadium, before closing out the group phase against Libya on October 6 in Ismailia. Both results will go a long way toward determining whether the young Lions punch their ticket to Ghana.
Beyond the three points, beating Algeria carries an extra layer of pride for Moroccan football, a sport that has built an enviable production line of talent in recent years, from the senior Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup run to consistent showings at youth and Olympic level. This latest generation, still finding its footing on the continental stage, has just served notice that it intends to follow the same path.
