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CAF
14-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
MATCH FACTS: Morocco, Egypt clash in North African derby semi-final
Morocco and hosts Egypt meet for the seventh time in the history of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in a North African derby semi-final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Thursday (kick-off 21:00 local time / 18:00 GMT). Their previous encounters took place in 1981, 1985, 1993, 1997, 2003, and 2005. Morocco have one win, Egypt have two, and three matches have ended in draws. Their first meeting came in the First Round of the 1981 edition, where Morocco won 3-1 on aggregate, claiming a 2-0 home win before drawing 1-1 in Egypt. In the 1993 group stage, Egypt won 4-1, followed by a goalless draw in 1997. Egypt won again in 2003 with a 4-0 scoreline, and their most recent meeting in 2005 ended 2-2. Egypt are unbeaten in their last five finals matches against Morocco. Across their six previous encounters at the tournament finals, a total of 17 goals have been scored at an average of 2.83 per game. Egypt have scored 11 goals (1.83 per game), while Morocco have netted 6 (1 per game). This will be the first time the two nations face off in a direct knockout match. Morocco are playing against a host nation at the finals for only the second time. Their only previous encounter came against Benin in the 2005 third-place playoff, where they drew 1-1 before losing 5-3 on penalties. The teams also met in the 2024 UNAF qualifying tournament for the current finals. Morocco won 2-1 in the opening match for both teams on 14 November 2024 at the Suez Canal Stadium. Morocco finished as tournament winners, with Egypt as runners-up in the five-team round-robin event. Morocco have already defeated one North African rival in this tournament, beating Tunisia 3-1 in the group stage. They reached the semi-finals unbeaten, with a 3-2 win over Kenya, a 0-0 draw with Nigeria, a 3-1 win over Tunisia, and a 1-0 extra-time victory against Sierra Leone in the quarterfinals. MOROCCO FACTS · Morocco have qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, marking their third appearance after 1997 and 2005. This is the first time Morocco have gone four matches unbeaten in a single edition. · In 1997, they lost their third group game to Ghana before winning the semi-final against Côte d'Ivoire and the final against South Africa. · This is Morocco's fourth appearance in the semi-finals. Their record in this stage, including matches decided on penalties, stands at one win and two losses. They are seeking to reach the final for only the second time, having won the tournament on home soil in 1997. A win would mark their first final outside Morocco. · Their previous semi-final appearances include a 2-1 aggregate loss to Togo in 1987 (1-0 win at home, 2-0 loss away), a 2-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire in 1997, and a 2-2 draw against Nigeria in 2005, which they lost 5-3 on penalties. · Morocco have now won three matches in open play at this edition – the first time they've achieved that since 1997. A fourth win would mark a new record for them in a single edition. · Since 1993, Morocco have played in two quarterfinals and two semi-finals in direct knockout matches. They've recorded two wins (2-1 vs Côte d'Ivoire in 1997 and 1-0 vs Sierra Leone in 2025) and two penalty shootout losses (vs Nigeria in 2005 and Tunisia in 2021). · Including their 1997 final win over South Africa and a 2005 third-place shootout loss to Nigeria, Morocco have played six knockout matches since 1993, winning three in open play and losing three on penalties. They have never lost a knockout match in open play. · Morocco have participated in four penalty shootouts at the finals, losing all of them: vs Tunisia (1981), Nigeria and Benin (2005), and Tunisia again (2021). · Against Sierra Leone, Morocco had six shots on target. In their 3-1 win over Tunisia, they registered seven. However, they had no shots on target against Nigeria. · All seven of Morocco's goals in this tournament have come after the 40th minute. Two were scored in the final five minutes of the first half, four in the second half, and one in extra time. · Hossam Essadak leads the team in chance creation with 11, the most by any Moroccan player. · Morocco have had 22 shots on target, the most of any semi-finalist, and boast the best shot conversion rate among the final four at 16.28%. · They have completed 1,334 passes – second only to South Africa – and lead in successful crosses with 14. EGYPT FACTS · Egypt began their campaign with a 1-0 win over South Africa, followed by a heavy 4-0 loss to Sierra Leone and a goalless draw with Zambia. In the quarterfinals, they beat Tanzania 1-0, then drew 2-2 with Ghana before winning on penalties. · Their progression secures a ninth appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Egypt are aiming for a sixth final, having previously reached the title match in 1981, 1991, 2003, 2005, and 2013. · A win would see them reach their second final on home soil (after 1991) and their third final hosted in North Africa (including Algeria in 2013). · This is Egypt's eighth semi-final and their second at home. In 1991, they defeated Ghana 1-0 en route to winning the tournament. If Egypt reach the final, they will become the eighth host nation to do so and the first since Zambia in 2017. · The last three host nations to reach the semi-finals – Zambia (2017), Senegal (2015), and Congo (2007) – all progressed to the final. Benin in 2005 were the last hosts to lose at this stage. · Since 1991, host nations have reached the semi-finals 11 times, and in 10 previous instances, the hosts progressed to the final six times and were eliminated four times. · Hosts to reach the final include Egypt (1991), Morocco (1997), Ghana (1999), Congo (2007), Senegal (2015), and Zambia (2017). Hosts who lost in the semi-finals include Nigeria (1995), Ethiopia (2001), Burkina Faso (2003), and Benin (2005). · Among the semi-finalists, Egypt have conceded the most goals (six). They have scored five, more than only Nigeria (three). · Four of Egypt's goals came in the first half, with their only second-half goal scored by Mohamed El Hadad in the 62nd minute of their opener against South Africa. · Conversely, five of the six goals Egypt have conceded came in the second half. The only first-half goal conceded was Ghana's opener in first-half stoppage time in the quarterfinals. · Egypt have twice surrendered leads in the current tournament. They led Sierra Leone 1-0 before losing 4-1, and against Ghana they led 2-0 before being pegged back to 2-2. They eventually triumphed on penalties. · Egypt have a shot conversion rate of 10%, higher only than Nigeria's 6.98% among the semi-finalists. · However, they lead in tackle success rate at 76.7% and have won 247 duels – the most of any semi-finalist. · Goalkeeper Abdel Monem Tamer has kept three clean sheets, tied for the most in the tournament, though he has played one game more than his counterparts. · In direct knockout games since 1991, Egypt have played seven, winning five and losing two, both on penalties. · Their victories include 1-0 wins over Ghana (1991) and Mali (2003), a penalty shootout win over Benin (2005), a 2-0 win over Nigeria (2013), and the recent penalty shootout victory against Ghana in 2025. · Their losses came in the 2001 and 2011 semi-finals, both via shootouts – against Ghana (1-1, lost 6-5) and Cameroon (0-0, lost 4-2). Egypt have not lost a direct knockout match in open play at the finals since 1991. · Egypt have participated in five penalty shootouts since 1991, with three wins and two losses. Three of those shootouts have been against Ghana. · They lost the 2001 semi-final (1-1, lost 6-5), won the 2005 semi-final (1-1, won 3-1), lost to Cameroon in 2011 (0-0, lost 4-2), and won the 2013 final (1-1, won 5-4). At the current tournament, they again defeated Ghana on penalties (2-2, won 5-4).
CAF
30-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
MATCH FACTS: Morocco clash with Kenya at TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON on Thursday
Published: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 Morocco and Kenya open their Group B campaigns at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in an intriguing battle at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Thursday (kick-off 21:00 local time / 18:00 GMT). This will be the first meeting between Morocco and Kenya at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON. Tanzania are the fourth East African team that Morocco will face at the finals and their record in these games reads P3 W2 L1. Morocco's previous games against East African opponents has seen them lose 2-1 to Ethiopia in 1993 in their opening group game. They overcame Sudan 2-0 in their second group game in 1997 on their way to the title on home soil, while in 2021 they defeated Tanzania 3-0 in their final group game. MOROCCO FACTS · Morocco return after missing out on the 2023 edition. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals in their last appearance in 2021 despite not conceding a goal in their four games. · They will appear in a tournament in North Africa for only the second time, along with 1997 when they were hosts. · They will feature in the finals for a 13th time after first appearing in 1979. They were winners in 1997 and semi-finalists in 1987 and 2005. · They are currently undefeated in their last nine games at the tournament in open play (W5 D4). Their last defeat in open play was a 4-0 loss to Egypt in their final group game in 2003. · Morocco's record in their first game reads P12 W5 D2 L5. They are undefeated in their opening game in the last four finals (W2 D2). They last lost their opening game in 1993, a 2-1 defeat to Ethiopia. · They won their UNAF U-20 qualifying tournament. They won their first two games 2-1, against Egypt and Tunisia, before drawing 1-1 against Algeria. They won their final game 4-0 against Libya. · They scored nine goals in qualifying with eight players scoring. Saad El Haddad was the only player to score more than one goal for them. KENYA FACTS · Kenya return for the first time since 1979 and will feature in a single tournament finals for the first time. · Their previous participation in 1979 saw them lose their first round qualifier against Ethiopia, despite winning the first leg 2-0. They lost the second 4-0 and were defeated 4-2 on aggregate. · They qualified for the 2025 edition by ending as runners-up at the 2024 CECAFA U-20 Championship. They lost 2-1 in the final despite taking the lead against hosts Tanzania. · Their top scorers at the 2024 CECAFA U-20 Championship were Kelvin Wangaya and Aldrine Kibet, who both scored four goals. · They scored 15 goals in the qualifying tournament and conceded just two. They kept four clean-sheets in their six games in the qualifiers. · Kenya will be aiming to become the first East African team to win the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON title.
CAF
27-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Egypt U-20 Profile: Young Pharaohs ready to roar on home soil
Host nation Egypt will head into the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025 as one of the tournament favourites, buoyed by a passionate home crowd and a legacy of youth football excellence. Drawn into Group A alongside Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tanzania, the Young Pharaohs will be aiming to make a strong statement on home soil as they pursue a fifth continental crown. Despite securing the right to host the tournament following Côte d'Ivoire's withdrawal, Egypt had already booked its place the hard way—on the pitch. This year's edition marks Egypt's 14th appearance at the U-20 AFCON, a competition they have won four times (1981, 1991, 2003, and 2013). Only Nigeria, with seven titles, boasts a better record. Below is the full profile of the Egypt U20 team: EGYPT After resuming the organisation of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON after the last-minute withdrawal of Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt will approach the competition as favourites. They share Pool A with Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tanzania. The country of the Pharaohs will be able to rely not only on its talents but also on the support of the public to try to do well. HOW THEY QUALIFIED Even before winning the status of host country at the very last minute, Egypt had already negotiated its qualification on the field, at the end of the UNAF zone qualifiers that it hosted from November 14 to 26, 2024. The young Pharaohs had snatched one of the two tickets at stake by finishing in second place, behind Morocco. HISTORY IN THE TOTALENERGIES CAF U-20 AFCON This year, Egypt will honour its fourteenth participation in the Junior Africa Cup of Nations. The country has one of the best records in the tournament with four trophies won (1881, 1991, 2003 and 2013). Only Nigeria, the record holder with 7 trophies won in this tournament, has done better. The country has also played in eight editions of the Junior World Cup, finishing third in 2001. KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH Ahmed Kabaka – Ahmed Khaled Gomaa Soliman aka Ahmed Kabaka will be one of the Egyptian players to watch during this tournament that his country is hosting from April 27 to May 18, 2025. The 19-year-old on loan from Al Ahly to Future FC was joint top scorer in the UNAF qualifiers with two goals. He is a midfielder with overflowing technical qualities who plays a valuable role in the organization of the Egyptian game. Very present in the animation, he can also be found at the conclusion of actions, as illustrated by his two goals at the last UNAF tournament. Mohamed Zaalouk – Al Ahly striker, also on loan to Future FC, Mohamed Zaalouk represents an impressive attacking asset for the Egyptian national team. His technical qualities and efficiency in front of goal will be crucial for Egypt in their quest for a fifth African title. Mohamed Zaalouk scored for Egypt against Algeria on the second day of the UNAF tournament. COACH AND TACTICAL APPROACH Osama Nabih took over the reins of the Egyptian national team after the resignation of Brazilian coach Rogerio Micale who qualified the Young Pharaohs last November. The 50-year-old technician, former Zamalek player and winner of the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations is a rigorous tactician. If he likes to see his team play well, he also knows how to provide the tactical response against a solid opponent. TOURNAMENT AMBITIONS AND GROUP ANALYSIS As the host country, Egypt will be a tough opponent to play against. In addition to the qualities recognized to the team, it should also rely on the law of domicile to maximize its chances and get results.
CAF
23-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Tunisia U-20 Profile: Junior Carthage Eagles out to reclaim continental pedigree
Tunisia return to the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations with fresh ambition and a renewed focus on restoring their status in youth football. Drawn into a highly competitive Group B alongside Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya, the Carthage Eagles will be banking on their mix of local and Europe-based talent to make a deep run in Egypt 2025. Coach Mejdi Traoui's side is targeting a top-four finish and a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup later this year. TUNISIA Tunisia return to the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations with renewed determination and a golden opportunity to reignite their youth football legacy. The North African side will feature in the tournament's 2025 edition in Egypt after gaining entry under unusual circumstances—but they are fully focused on making the most of the chance. Tunisia have been drawn in Group B, alongside continental heavyweights Nigeria and Morocco, as well as a rapidly improving Kenya side. Led by former international Mejdi Traoui, Tunisia bring a mix of domestic and European-based talent into the competition, hoping to reach the semi-finals and secure qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup later this year. HOW THEY QUALIFIED Tunisia's path to Egypt 2025 was anything but straightforward. After finishing third in the UNAF U-20 Championship—behind Egypt and Morocco—they initially missed out on automatic qualification. However, when Cote d'Ivoire withdrew as hosts of the tournament, a spot opened up, and Tunisia were granted entry. During the UNAF qualifiers, Tunisia recorded victories over Libya and Algeria, but also showed defensive vulnerability, scoring and conceding five goals apiece. The campaign revealed both their attacking promise and the need for greater consistency. HISTORY IN THE TOTALENERGIES CAF U-20 AFCON This marks Tunisia's ninth appearance at the U-20 AFCON, with their first dating back to 1979. Their best result came in 1985, when they reached the final but fell short against Nigeria. In recent years, Tunisia have twice finished in the semi-finals, earning fourth place and subsequently qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Their history shows a team capable of competing at the highest level when they find their rhythm. KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH Khalil Ayari – The 20-year-old winger from Stade Tunisien is known for his electric pace, one-on-one ability, and direct style of play. He offers a consistent threat down the flanks. Louey Ben Farhat – A rising star based in Germany, the 18-year-old midfielder from Karlsruhe U-19 has scored 13 goals in 27 games this season. His creative passing and eye for goal make him a key figure in Tunisia's midfield. Youssef Becha – The CS Sfaxien winger is a skillful dribbler who thrives in wide spaces. His agility and delivery from the wings could prove decisive in tight matches. COACH AND TACTICAL APPROACH Head coach Mejdi Traoui brings valuable top-flight experience from stints with Esperance de Tunis and the Tunisian senior national team. His tactical style is based on quick transitions, positional fluidity, and aggressive pressing. Traoui prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation that encourages creative freedom in the final third, while maintaining defensive discipline through a solid midfield base. TOURNAMENT AMBITIONS AND GROUP ANALYSIS Drawn into a formidable Group B with Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya, Tunisia face one of the most competitive pools in the tournament. Each match will demand tactical precision and mental fortitude. Nonetheless, Tunisia aim to reach the semi-finals, which would secure qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. With their technical players and experienced coach, Tunisia enter the tournament as one of the potential dark horses.
CAF
23-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Morocco U-20 Profile: Atlas Cubs chase second title in Egypt
Published: Wednesday, 23 April 2025 Morocco arrive at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025 as one of the leading contenders to lift the title. Drawn into a competitive Group B with Nigeria, Tunisia and Kenya, the Atlas Cubs are determined to capitalise on the country's growing youth development reputation. With their only U-20 title dating back to 1997, Morocco are eager to end a 28-year wait and reaffirm their standing among the continent's elite. Below is the fill profile: MOROCCO Morocco's U-20 team is one of the top candidates to lift the trophy in Egypt. The Atlas Cubs will be housed in Group B, along with Nigeria, Tunisia and Kenya. Winner of this tournament for the only time in 1997, the Cherifian Kingdom hopes to reconnect with this trophy and thus reward the efforts that the country has made in recent years to become a leader in the training of young footballers on the continent. HOW THEY QUALIFIED Morocco qualified for the finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations by winning the UNAF zonal tournament held in November 2024 in Egypt. HISTORY IN THE TOTALENERGIES CAF U-20 AFCON Morocco will play in Egypt, its seventh TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations. In addition to winning the trophy in 1997, the Atlas Cubs have been quarter-finalists three times. They were also third in 1987 and fourth in 2005. KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH Naoufel El Hannach – Paris Saint Germain Espoir defender Naoufel El Hannach (18 years old) is one of the key elements of the Moroccan selection. He is a rough defender who also knows how to be valuable during his offensive comebacks, as illustrated by his goal against Libya in the qualifying tournament of the UNAF zone. Saâd El Haddad – Aged 19, Saâd El Haddad is one of the main figures of the Moroccan attack. With two goals, he finished as the team's top scorer in the UNAF zone qualification tournament. A lot of hopes rest on the shoulders of the Venizia player in Serie A. With his immense talent, he has the means to meet the expectations placed on him. COACH AND TACTICAL APPROACH Mohammed Ouahbi will be in charge of leading the Moroccan team to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Egypt. The 48-year-old technician appointed head of this selection in March 2022 has only one ambition: to bring the trophy back to Morocco. To achieve this, the UEFA Pro Licence holder will rely on his philosophy based on ball possession. The former coach of the Anderlecht youth academy in Belgium likes to see his team master the game but at the same time be effective on the offensive side. TOURNAMENT AMBITIONS AND GROUP ANALYSIS Morocco will arrive in Egypt with the clear intention of bringing the trophy home. He will be called upon to raise the level in a difficult group where he rubs shoulders with Nigeria, the most successful team of the tournament with seven trophies to its credit, Tunisia and Kenya.
