African youth football: Morocco wins U20 qualifier and splits U17 series with Ghana

African football is seeing significant activity across youth qualifying tournaments and international friendlies. In the UNAF U20 qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco secured a 3-1 victory over Algeria at the Suez Canal Stadium in Egypt. Goals for Morocco were scored by Sami Bouhadan, Moncef Mohamed, and Ilyas El Haidaoui, while Amjad Niou scored for Algeria. This result leaves both teams at the top of the standings with four points each. Meanwhile, Egypt's U20 team remains in strong form following a 2-1 win against Tunisia, led by goals from Mohannad El Shamy and Mohamed Hamad.

In the U17 category, Morocco and Ghana have split a two-match friendly series. After Ghana won the first encounter 2-0, Morocco secured a 2-1 victory in the second match in Rabat. Despite playing with ten men for much of the second half, Ghana fought back with a free-kick from Yaw Acheampong, but Morocco scored a decisive goal in the final moments of the game. These matches serve as crucial preparation for the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship and the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Additionally, several senior national teams are utilizing international friendlies to prepare for upcoming AFCON qualification matches, including scheduled matchups for DR Congo, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon.