Morocco vs Kenya: Atlas Cubs Eye Winning AFCON First Game

Morocco World

01-05-2025

Morocco's U20 begin their CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo and will be aiming to hit the ground running when they face Kenya in their opening match.
Kick-off is at 7 p.m. Moroccan time (GMT+1) and fans can catch the action live on BeIN Sports HD 6.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his players are ready for the challenge despite varying levels of match fitness across the squad. 'We've managed to strike a balance between players fatigued from club duties and those lacking game time,' he said in the pre-match press conference.
Ouahbi also made clear that Morocco are not in Egypt merely to compete, but to win the tournament.
'The aim is not just to take part, but to compete for the African title,' he said. 'This goal was set two years ago when the technical staff began building a strong and cohesive team through training camps and friendlies.'
Morocco are drawn in Group B alongside Kenya, Nigeria and Tunisia. Ouahbi understands the scale of the task, but remains confident in his players' quality and hunger.
'The opening match against Kenya won't be easy. All teams want a positive start,' he said. 'But we're fully aware of the difficulty and have what it takes to make our presence felt. Morocco is a team that must be taken seriously.'
Beyond immediate results, the coach is also focused on long-term development, hoping to lay the foundation and develop a group capable of representing the senior national side.
'The short-term goal is to win this U20 title, but the long-term mission is to produce players ready to wear the senior team shirt,' Ouahbi explained.
'This group forms the nucleus of our future squad. The strategic objective is to build a generation prepared to compete in the 2030 World Cup and upcoming AFCON tournaments.'