Morocco were crowned champions of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on home soil after edging Mali 4-2 on penalties following a tense 0-0 draw in the final held at the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia on Saturday.
In front of a jubilant home crowd, the young Atlas Lions kept their nerve in the shootout, with Ilies Belmokhtar sealing victory in style by scoring a composed ‘Panenka’ penalty to deliver Morocco’s first-ever U-17 AFCON title.
The final was a closely contested affair, with both teams cancelling each other out during regular time. Mali thought they had taken the lead in the first half through Soumaila Fane, but VAR intervened to rule out the goal after it was confirmed the ball was handled into the net.
Morocco’s best chance came just before the break, when Ziyad Baha connected with a low cross and fired towards the bottom corner, only for Mali goalkeeper Lamine Sinaba to make a fine save.
The West Africans dominated the early stages of the second half, with Seydou Dembele forcing a brilliant stop from Moroccan shot-stopper Chouaib Bellaarouche in the 49th minute. Bellaarouche remained a key figure throughout the rest of the match, standing tall under Mali’s persistent attacking pressure.
With the scoreline goalless at full time, the match headed into a penalty shootout. Bellaarouche emerged as the hero once again, producing two crucial saves to guide Morocco to a 4-2 victory in the shootout.
Both Morocco and Mali have now qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, joining Burkina Faso, South Africa, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tunisia, Egypt, and Uganda as Africa’s representatives.
