Morocco 5 – 0 Uganda
The Moroccans turned on the heat, and the Ugandans got burnt in the opening match of the Under Seventeen (U17) Africa Cup of Nations, which was played at the 15,000-capacity Stade El Bachir (Mohammedia) Stadium in Morocco.
The hosts turned on the song early when Ilies Belmokhtar scored in the third minute for his team to embark on a 5-0 victory against the Ugandans. Driss Cheikh scored the second at the eighth minute before Ziyad Baha scored the third at the twenty-fourth minute mark. Belmokhtar added a second at the thirty-second minute mark, sending the match into a break with Morocco leading 4-0. Baha added his second goal of the day at the seventy-one minute mark. Belmokhtar was voted Man of the Match.
Uganda plays neighbours Tanzania next on 3rd April 2025 at the Stade El Bachir (Mohammedia) stadium. Uganda is in Group A with hosts Morocco, Zambia and Tanzania. The Cubs earned their spot in the 2025 AFCON by winning the CECAFA U17 Qualifiers, defeating Tanzania 2-1 in the final.
Going into this tournament, Uganda Cubs coach Ssenyondo said their target was to use the tournament to qualify for the U17 World Cup. The semi-finalists at the tournament qualify for the World Cup.
Uganda’s last U17 AFCON appearance in 2019 saw them finish third in the group stages, missing out on advancement to the World Cup.
