[Fri, 14 Nov 2025 23:04:44 +0300]

Doha – Saba:
The Moroccan national team qualified for the Round of 16 in the FIFA U-17 World Cup currently held in Qatar after defeating the United States team 5-4 on penalties Friday evening, following a 1-1 draw at the end of regular time.

The American team took the lead through Jude Terry, assisted by a smart pass from Cavan Sullivan. At the start of the second half, the U.S. had a golden opportunity to extend their lead when they were awarded a penalty, which Mathis Albert took, but he missed with a shot wide of the goal.

This miss revived the Moroccan side, which continued to press until Abdullah Wazzan scored a brilliant equalizer in the 89th minute.

With the match tied at the end of regular time, the two teams went straight to penalties, where Moroccan goalkeeper Shaib Belaroush delivered a spectacular performance by saving two penalty shots, securing the "Atlas Lions Cubs" a ticket to the Round of 16.

In the Round of 16, Morocco will face Mali, who defeated Zambia 3-1 in the previous round.