Rabat – Hosts Morocco are back in action on Saturday night. A win against Ethiopia would put the Atlas Cubs in a strong position to reach the quarterfinals and move one step closer to qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
Morocco opened Group A with a frustrating but hard-fought 1-1 draw against Tunisia. The defending champions had to come from behind to earn a point and showed character, but there was also a feeling that they left room for improvement. They now face an Ethiopian side that also made a solid start, holding Egypt to a 0-0 draw in one of the opening round’s surprise results.
With all four teams level after Matchday 1, every point matters.
Match Details
- Competition: U17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 — Group A, Matchday
- Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 Morocco time / 19:00 GMT
- Venue: Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 8, Maâmora–Salé
يواجه منتخبنا الوطني يوم غد منتخب إثيوبيا ضمن ثاني مبارياته في كأس أمم إفريقيا لأقل من 17 سنة — المغرب 2026
Our National Team faces Ethiopia 🇪🇹 tomorrow in their second match of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations — Morocco 2026 🦁#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/lXsEL6tfGt
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) May 15, 2026
How & Where to watch
The match will be broadcast live on Arryadia TNT, the third channel of Morocco’s SNRT group, FIFA+, and the TOD streaming platform.
Morocco team news
Morocco showed a lot of determination in the draw against Tunisia. The Atlas Cubs created moments of danger and showed their technical quality, but they also lacked a clinical touch in key moments , something coach Tiago Lima Pereira will be hoping to fix quickly.
The coaching staff is likely to stick with the same tactical approach and keep faith in the group that started the tournament. Maintaining chemistry and continuity appears to be the main idea heading into this game.
Morocco Probable XI: El Maach, Tahri, Soudi, Zinbi, Bentaleb, El Aoud, Ibn Salah, Hadidi, Ellaky, Rabbaj, El Boujjoufi.
Ethiopia team news
Ethiopia impressed in their opening match after frustrating Egypt for 90 minutes with an organized and disciplined performance. They may not have dominated possession, but they showed they can be extremely difficult to break down.
Coach Benjamin Zimmer should keep things simple and avoid unnecessary changes.
After their performance against Egypt, Ethiopia have already shown they could become one of the tournament’s most stubborn teams. Morocco may need more creativity and greater efficiency in front of goal than they showed in the opening match.
Ethiopia Predicted XI: Temesgen K. Tadesse, Dinkneh W. Lunchoro, Tinsae M. Asefa, Kalid A. Reshad, Eniyew S. Badege, Kidus D. Tewolde, Dawit K. Yirdaw, Huzeyfa S. Umer, Abenezer A. Anjulo, Efison K. Kindo, Cherinet U. Galda.
On paper, Morocco enters as the favorites. But Ethiopia has already proven they can make life difficult for bigger teams.
Score prediction: Morocco 1–0 Ethiopia
