Rabat – Morocco’s U20 national team coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has praised his squad’s strong performance in the group stage of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, currently taking place in Egypt.
Speaking to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Ouahbi also acknowledged the greater challenge posed by the upcoming knockout stage, starting with a tough quarterfinal against Sierra Leone.
“We finished top of the group. It’s well-deserved. We’re very satisfied with this first round, but we know we can do better, that we can still grow in this competition,” said Ouahbi. “I have a lot of confidence in this group. I know them well, I know what they’re capable of, and especially what they’ve already shown in the first three matches.”
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The coach stressed the need for a mental shift as the tournament moves into the knockout rounds: “Knockout games are a different story. We need to maintain our performance level and stay solid. We’re confident. We’ll be facing Sierra Leone, a team that’s physically very strong, with players of impressive size. On our side, we need to rely on our strengths: technique, teamwork, combinations, and positional play.”
Ouahbi also warned against underestimating Sierra Leone’s individual talents.
“They have players who can make a difference. Their 4-1 win against Egypt was no accident,” he said. “They lost to South Africa, but that allowed them to rotate their squad. We know them well. We had studied them before and analyzed them again recently. We’re aware of their strengths and weaknesses.”
The coach concluded with a clear objective: “Our goal is to qualify for the semifinals, which would also secure us a spot in the World Cup.”
The Atlas Cubs topped Group B with seven points, following victories over Kenya (3-2) and Tunisia (3-1), and a goalless draw with Nigeria.
The national team will play their quarterfinal match against Sierra Leone next Monday at 4:00 p.m. (GMT+1).
