U-17 AFCON: Moroccan two-goal burst eliminates South Africa

Photo Credit: @CAF_Online/X

2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco are through to the semifinals after overcoming a tricky South Africa side 3-1 in Thursday's quarterfinal duel. Two goals in two minutes from Ziyad Baha broke the Amajimbos' resistance after a closely fought sixty minutes of play.

It looked like Morocco would cruise through a routine victory when Ismail El Aoud opened the scoring in the 13th minute after South Africa goalkeeper Solethu Radebe saved Abdellah Ouazane's initial effort into El Aoud's path.

However, South Africa showed patience with their strategy of keeping the ball and maintaining possession. The Amajimbos were the better team for extended stretches of the first half and limited Morocco's time on the ball.

Solid play from the South Africans set up a crowd silencing equalizer in the 54th minute. An excellent long ball from midfielder Kamohelo Maraletse picked out Amajimbos star Emile Witbooi on the left wing. The Cape Town City starlet showed some of his trademark dribbling moves before chipping a perfect ball for Neo Bohloko to loop an accurate header past Lionceaux keeper Chouaib Bellaarouch.

In the end it was the hosts who pounced on a brief period of South African uncertainty with precision attacking. Ilies Belmokhtar's 61st minute cross was brilliantly flicked up and then nodded by El Aoud over to Baha who volleyed past Radebe from close range.

Less than a minute later, the South African meltdown was complete when Ouazane played a defense-splitting pass to find the run of Baha who made no mistake on his finish. The double punch was too much for South Africa to come back from and the hosts booked their place in the semifinals on 15 April where they will play the winner of tomorrow's quarterfinal match between Ivory Coast and Senegal.