Rabat – Following the Moroccan U-17 national team’s remarkable win against Mali in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals on Sunday, coach Said Chiba celebrated the outstanding performance and “tactical discipline” the Atlas Lions have displayed.
“We were patient and very organized and this was the only solution for us to win. We executed our plan really well and these players have demonstrated a lot of tactical discipline beyond their age,” the Confederation of African Football (CAF) quoted Chiba as saying.
The Moroccan team qualified for the final after beating their Malian counterparts 6-5 in a penalty shootout. The game’s original allotted time ended with a 0-0 deadlock.
Throughout the match, the Atlas Lions were keen to assert dominance on the pitch and keep Mali, a strong opponent, from taking control.
“We knew that we were going into a difficult game and we needed to manage it well and to ensure Mali, which is a very high-level team, does not find its rhythm and channels to attack,” the coach added. “We played compact as to how we had planned,” he stressed.
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Chiba expressed his pride in his team for the stellar performances they have produced throughout the continental tournament, hoping for their success story to continue till the final.
“We have made everyone at home proud and now we hope for one more beautiful story,” Chiba added.
The Moroccan squad will lock horns with Senegal on Friday at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers to determine the U17 AFCON champions.
The Lions of Teranga also survived the pressure of penalties to secure a ticket to the final. The team defeated Burkina Faso 5-4 in penalty kicks in Annaba to advance to the next stage. The tournament marks both teams’ first-ever qualification to the final.
