Morocco have secured first place in Group A at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Egypt on a tense final matchday, while Ethiopia produced a stoppage-time shock to defeat Tunisia 1–0 in a dramatic conclusion on Tuesday.
The hosts confirmed their status as group leaders with an impressive first-half performance against Egypt, and both sides ultimately booked their places in the quarter-finals as well as qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Morocco took control of the North African showdown early, going ahead in the 18th minute through Ibrahim Rabat.
They doubled their advantage just before the break when Ismail El Aoud struck in the second minute of stoppage time to make it 2–0 at halftime.Egypt responded quickly after the restart, pulling one back in the 49th minute through Ziad Saoudi, but Morocco remained disciplined defensively to see out the win and finish unbeaten at the top of the group.
Despite the loss, Egypt advanced in second place thanks to results from earlier matches and a superior goal difference over Ethiopia.
In the group’s other fixture, Ethiopia grabbed a dramatic late winner against Tunisia when Amir Misbah scored in the 93rd minute, sealing a 1–0 triumph that kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive.
The result lifted Ethiopia level on points with Egypt, but they missed out on second place due to goal difference, settling for third position and a place in the play-offs for another chance to reach the global tournament.
Tunisia endured a disappointing campaign, finishing bottom of the group without a win and exiting the competition after the late defeat.
Final standings confirmed Morocco as group winners, Egypt in second, Ethiopia third, and Tunisia eliminated.
