Rabat – The Moroccan national football team kicked off the first matchday of the U-17 World Cup in Indonesia today, facing Panama at Gelora Bung Tomo in the city of Surabaya.
The Atlas Lions were able to win their first match 2-0, with defender Saifdine Chlaghmo netting a goal in the 16th minute.
The second matchday will see Morocco compete against Ecuador in the same venue on November 13 at 10 a.m. Moroccan time.
As for the third match of the group stage, Morocco will clash with the tournament’s hosts Indonesia on November 16 at 1 p.m.
Today’s win earned the Moroccan team 3 points, enabling them to secure first place in the group.
This marks Morocco’s second participation in the tournament’s history. The first participation was in 2013 when the team reached the round of 16, a record they aspire to break in this ongoing edition.
Morocco is also the only North African team to compete in the tournament, with Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso being the other African representatives.
The competition’s matches will take place in four venues across Indonesia, namely the Gelora Bung Tomo stadium in Surabaya, the Manahan stadium in Surakarta, the Jakarta International stadium in the capital city of Jakarta, and the Si Jalak Harupat stadium in Bandung.
The final is set to be held in the Manahan Stadium.
The tournament usually takes place every two years, and features some of the most promising up-and-coming players in world football.
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