Rabat – Morocco has qualified for the semi-final of the Arab Cup after a dramatic quarter-final win against Libya.
The winner of the 0-0 match was decided by a penalty shootout.
Goalkeeper Youssef Laghzal stepped up as a hero for Morocco, saving three penalties and scoring the winning penalty himself.
Morocco reached the knockout stage after an impressive group phase where the young talents won all three matches with ease.
Morocco is the only team in the tournament that did not drop a single point in the group stage. The highlight for the youngsters was a 6-0 win against Djibouti.
Moroccan international football player Nordin Amrabat visited the team before the match against Djibouti to wish luck to the young players.
Former National Team head coach Herve Renard and ex-Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah have also visited the youngsters over the course of the tournament.
The majority of the talented U-20 players play for domestic clubs such as Raja Club Athletic, FUS Rabat, and the Mohammed VI Football Academy.
The Arab Cup U-20 is organized by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2020 Arab Cup. Morocco won the first tournament in 2011 as hosts, and Tunisia won the following year.
The semi-final between Morocco and reigning champions Tunisia will take place on Monday.
Tunisia knocked Algeria out of the tournament with a 2-0 win.
