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Rabat – After a crushing 16–0 win over New Caledonia, Morocco’s U-17 national team has officially qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Head coach Nabil Baha praised his players, while acknowledging the pressure they had faced after two tough defeats.
“We thank the Moroccan fans who came to support us, even though they were hard on us after the Portugal loss,” Baha said. “It was important to score many goals to improve our goal difference. We had to win, we had nothing to lose.”
Morocco entered the match with a goal difference of -8 after losing to Japan (2–0) and Portugal (6–0). With only the best third-placed teams advancing, the Atlas Cubs needed a massive win, and they delivered. The 16–0 scoreline is now the biggest in U-17 World Cup history.
Baha admitted that New Caledonia was a weaker opponent compared to Portugal and Japan, but stressed the importance of staying focused. “Let’s be honest, they were easier. But we needed to score a lot. Now we’re at +8, and that could make the difference.”
The coach also stressed the mental shift within the squad. “We were under pressure in the first two games. But today, we played freely. The players were happy, and that’s what we want.”
With the massive win, Morocco has officially qualified for the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Their place was confirmed after Costa Rica lost to Croatia and the UAE fell to Senegal in Group C. Both teams ended with just one point, while Morocco’s three points and superior goal difference put them ahead.
The Atlas Cubs also outperformed Tunisia, which finished third in Group D with a goal difference of +3.
Thanks to these results, Morocco advanced without needing to wait for the final matches in other groups.
