The Moroccan U17 Lions made their entrance into the African Nations Cup, which they are hosting at home. The opening match of the competition was against Uganda.
From the start of the match, Nabil Baha’s team quickly took control of the ball. Just three minutes into the game, a beautiful pass from Ouazzane found Ilias Belmokhtar at the far post after a superb run, allowing him to score with a well-placed header that left the Ugandan goalkeeper with no chance, making it 1-0.
The Moroccan side maintained total dominance, and just five minutes later, a quickly taken corner led to a well-aimed cross that found Driss Ait Cheikh, who also headed the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Despite their clear superiority, it wasn’t until the 22nd minute that the Moroccans capitalized on a foul by the Ugandans in the penalty area. After a few minutes of waiting for the VAR to confirm, the referee awarded a penalty that Zyad Baha converted to extend the lead to 3-0. A few minutes later, Belmokhtar, well-positioned on the right side, finished with his left foot for his second goal, bringing the score to 4-0 for Morocco.
Defensively, Morocco faced little pressure, and the central defense was quite solid throughout the first half, even though the Ugandans made attempts without managing to exploit any weaknesses in the defense or goalkeeper Belaarouch, brother of the Belaarouch who won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the U23 team. The score at halftime was in favor of Nabil Baha’s lions.
After the break, Morocco managed the game better, aiming to tire out their opponents, resulting in fewer chances for both teams. However, their dominance paid off in the 70th minute. On a free kick from the left side, the Ugandan defense mismanaged the situation, and a header assist found Ziad Baha, who also scored to complete his brace and make it 5-0. Unfortunately for the Ugandans, there was nothing they could do against the Moroccan side as the game turned into a rout.
The pace of the match slowed afterwards, especially with Nabil Baha rotating his squad in preparation for their next match against Zambia, aiming to ensure qualification for the final stages.
