The "Cub" team faces Senegal with the spirit of a champion in the Africa Cup semi-finals.
The African U-17 Cup of Nations "Morocco 2026" has reached its decisive stage today, Thursday; the Moroccan national team faces its Senegalese counterpart in a strong and exciting semi-final in the capital, Rabat, while Egypt meets the surprise of the tournament, the Tanzanian team, in the second match.
Both matches will take place at the Moulay Hassan Stadium; the Moroccan team will meet Senegal at 8 PM local time, in a match filled with rivalry and ambitions, preceded by the encounter between Egypt and Tanzania at 5 PM.
The four teams that qualified for the semi-finals have secured their spots in the U-17 World Cup finals, but the bigger goal now is to reach the final scene and win the continental title.
The Moroccan team, supported by its fans, continues its title defense campaign after a tough victory in the previous round against Cameroon with a score of 1-0, thanks to a goal from Mohamed Habib Zenbi in the 17th minute, while goalkeeper Ryan Yaakoubi shone with crucial interventions that helped the "Atlas Cubs" maintain their lead.
Throughout the tournament, the Moroccan team has shown strong offensive power and remarkable defensive organization; they topped Group A with seven points before overcoming the quarter-final hurdle. Under the leadership of coach Thiago Lima Pereira, the team has appeared as a squad capable of handling the pressure of expectations.
On the other hand, the Senegalese team enters the match backed by its experience and resilience, having narrowly overcome Mali despite being a player down and conceding an equalizer in the final minutes, before securing qualification through penalties with a score of 4-2 after the match ended 1-1 in regular time.
Goalkeeper Assane Sarr was one of the standout stars during the penalty shootout, alongside players like Sulaymane Komiser Faye and Cheikh Amadou Tidiane Diallo, who contributed to maintaining the balance and threat of the Senegalese team in the toughest moments.