Morocco’s U20 national team sealed a historic qualification to the Round of 16 at the FIFA U20 World Cup after defeating Brazil 2-1 in a gripping group stage encounter on Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Chile.
The Atlas Cubs, buoyed by passionate support from Moroccan fans waving flags and chanting in red and green, delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament so far.
Brazil started brightly, dominating possession and creating clear chances, but goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch kept Morocco in the game with a series of decisive saves. The South Americans thought they had won a penalty midway through the first half, but a VAR review overturned the referee’s decision, to the relief of Moroccan supporters.
The match came alive after the break. In the 60th minute, Othmane Maamma broke the deadlock with a spectacular volley to put Morocco ahead. Yassir Zabiri doubled the lead soon after, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to send Moroccan fans into celebration.
Brazil responded late, pulling one back through Iago from the penalty spot, but it proved too little, too late as Morocco held firm to secure all three points.
The result leaves Morocco top of their group with six points from two matches, ahead of Mexico (2), Spain (1), and Brazil (1). With one game still to play, the North Africans are assured of a place in the knockout stages.
The Atlas Cubs will conclude their group campaign against Mexico on Saturday, October 4, at the Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
