The Moroccan youth team, under the age of 20, continues to write one of the most beautiful pages of its football history. He will meet his French counterpart tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Elias Figueroa Brander Stadium in the semi-finals of the U-20 World Cup.
The confrontation carries with it special symbolism, as it is not just a struggle to reach the final, but rather an opportunity to recall the memory of the 2022 semi-final between the two teams at the adult level, when France won 2-0 in the Qatar World Cup, turning the youth match into a possible date for restoration of reputation.
The “Cubes” qualified after a remarkable victory over the United States of America by three goals to one in the quarter-finals, so that the team repeated its historic achievement in the 2005 edition in the Netherlands when it finished fourth.
This upward path clearly reflects the maturity of the new generation of Moroccan football, and a successful investment in the formation of age groups that has begun to bear fruit at the continental and global levels.
As for the French team, it also reached the semi-finals by defeating Norway 2-1 thanks to the brilliance of striker Simon Bouabri, confirming its strong presence in the youth tournaments in which it has always been a difficult number.
The confrontation between Morocco and France this time comes in a different competitive context, as the Moroccan team has a double incentive to write history, and it realizes that reaching the final will make it the first Arab team and the third African team, after Ghana and Nigeria, to reach the final of the Youth World Cup.
Coach Mohamed Wehbe’s cubs enter the match with high confidence and a remarkable team spirit. Wehbe, who created a homogeneous combination of local and professional players in Europe, stressed after the victory over America that “the team regained its tactical principles and maintained its composure despite the great pressure in the first half.”
The coach’s statements reflect his philosophy, which is based on discipline and tactical awareness before anything else, which are the elements that enabled the team to deal intelligently with the rhythm of major matches.
Right-back Ali Muammar will be absent from the match due to suspension, while the rest of the main players will attend, led by the brilliant Othman Maama, playmaker Yassin Jassim, and the solid defense duo Ismail Bakhti and Ismail Baouf.
As for the coach, he stressed that “this group is very cohesive… When they play in the World Cup, you do not need to motivate them more than that, as they know that their entire country supports them, and even the king supports them.”
Since the start of the tournament, the Moroccan national team has been considered the surprise of the World Cup thanks to its integrated group system and its players’ deep understanding of the game plan. In the match against the United States, despite periods of pressure, the team showed a high ability to organize defensively and execute counterattacks at the perfect timing, which gave it a clear tactical advantage.
The collective spirit and understanding on the field were the most prominent features of the Moroccan performance. The movements seemed harmonious and coordinated, whether in defensive coverage or in building attacks. At the level of the parties, Yassin Jassim emerged as a main player with his individual skills and his ability to create a balance between the offensive and defensive sides, while the back line players presented a model of solidity and discipline.
Now, the “Cubes” stand one step away from glory, as confronting France will be a new test of spirit and determination, but it is also an opportunity for this generation to write its own story, away from the shadows of the past, and to confirm that the Moroccan dream in world football is no longer a distant dream, but rather has become a reality that is taking shape with confidence and a new generation that does not know the impossible.
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