Morocco U-17s chase a historic third against the USA in the World Cup knockout
12 November 2025
The clash between Moroccan football and its American counterpart returns to the fore, this time at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, as the two nations meet in the Round of 16.
This meeting marks the third consecutive encounter between the two nations' youth teams this year, after Morocco won the previous two, so the Atlas Lions head into the third game hoping to complete the trilogy and stretch the Americans' recent misfortune.
Return from afar, a fresh start
The Moroccan U-17s have written an exciting chapter in this edition of the tournament. After a disastrous start with two heavy defeats to Japan and Portugal by six goals, many feared the Atlas Lions' journey had ended early. But they fought back heroically to qualify, a comeback that looked improbable at first and kept them alive in the world cup pursuit.
The draw lucked Morocco's way, sparing them big names like Brazil, Argentina and France and pairing them with the United States, who finished top of their group with a perfect record but managed just four goals, while Morocco boasted the competition's best attacking record with 16 goals.
This attacking prowess gave a major morale boost to coach Nabil Bahaa, who had recently escaped a dismissal after the early setbacks, and who after the draw spoke with optimistic confidence, saying the tournament had not really started for Morocco and that his players had regained the fighting spirit that has defined Moroccan football in recent years.
Confidence in Bahaa
The coach, who steered the team through the group stage after a rocky start, spoke cautiously yet confidently after the draw, noting that the knockout format leaves no room for mistakes and that they know the USA well, are disciplined, and have shown they can win games without scoring many goals.
He added that the draw was not perfect but acceptable. He trusted his players after their strong performance against New Caledonia and believed their World Cup run was only beginning, counting on support from the Qatar crowd and playing with balance and energy.
Regarding previous meetings, Bahaa said that Morocco have recently led the narrative, which could affect their opponents mentally, though every match presents a new challenge and will be approached in their own way, without swagger or underestimation.
The president of the Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Leqaj, closely followed the team and sent the delegation off with words praising them as the generation of the future and urging them to follow in the footsteps of Chile’s world champions.
He also held a lengthy talk with Bahaa, stressing the need to preserve confidence and mental balance, urging players to overcome pressure after the early losses to Portugal and Japan and to play with the champion spirit that recently earned Africa the continental crown.
Support from a broad fan presence in Qatar is expected as Moroccan supporters prepare to back the young team on Friday evening; a large turnout from the Moroccan diaspora is anticipated, a scene that has become a hallmark of Morocco's recent campaigns.
Bahaa also sought to ease pressure by granting players mental freedom before the match, insisting that focus and calm are the key weapons against an organized USA side.
Punchline 1: If football were stand-up, these kids would already have the crowd in stitches—now they just need to put the ball in the net.
Punchline 2: The Americans may be the lucky charm, but tonight the ball might pick its own destiny and it could land somewhere the Atlas Lions have already marked with a sketch of a goal.
