U-23 AFCON: Morocco, Guinea progress to semi-final, Ghana, Congo crash out

Host Morocco have scaled through to the next round of the U23 AFCON after defeating Congo 1-0 on Friday at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Morocco’s left-winger Younes Taha netted the first goal, giving his team a head start in the match.

U-23 Atlas Lions Led Group A with a total of six points. In their U23 AFCON campaign opener, the Moroccan team secured a thrilling last-minute 2-1 victory against Guinea on Saturday, showcasing their resilience.

They followed it up with a dominant display of their attacking prowess in the second match, overwhelming Ghana with a convincing 5-1 triumph on Tuesday.

While the Atlas Lions found themselves trailing at halftime, they turned the tide in the second half by capitalizing on two penalty kicks, expertly converted by FC Barcelona player Abde Ezzalzouli.

Ezzalzouli, who recently made waves with the senior national team in the World Cup as well, proved instrumental in the team’s success. Currently, the Atlas Lions are on an impressive five-game winning streak and have their sights set firmly on reaching the knockout phase.

Ghana’s Black Meteors have crashed out of the 2023 U-23 AFCON in Morocco after a 1-1 draw in their final Group A game against Guinea on Friday night.

The result means the Black Meteors will not be at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.

The Black Meteors went into the game on the back of a 5-1 loss to hosts Morocco and needed a win to progress to the semi-finals.

Morocco, on nine points, topped the group, Guinea claimed second place with four points and edged third-placed Black Meteors on better goal difference.

The first three teams of the tournament will represent Africa at next year’s Olympic game holding in Paris, France.