Morocco’s Under-17 national squad advanced to the quarter-finals of the African Nation Cup for Youth (CAN U17), alongside securing their position in the forthcoming FIFA U17 World Cup set in Qatar, after achieving a decisive 3–0 win against Tanzania during Matchday 3 in Group A.

In the 76th minute, Ilies Belmokhtar broke the deadlock, followed by Abdellah Ouazane securing the victory with two rapid-fire goals in the 81st and 84th minutes. This outcome allowed Morocco to top Group A with seven points, advancing ahead of Zambia based on goal differential. Meanwhile, at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Zambia claimed a 2-1 triumph over Uganda as Kelvin Chipelu netted his goal in the 20th minute and Billy Daka added another in the 86th. Elvis Torach managed to score Uganda’s sole goal in the 49th minute.

Facing a stubbornly defending Tanzanian team, the Atlas Lion Cubs found it difficult to break through. Although they had several opportunities, they couldn’t capitalize during the initial period. Their best chance arose in the tenth minute when Ziyad Baha managed to maneuver around the defense and went toe-to-toe with the keeper, yet he was unable to score.

When Abel Samson received a long pass and infiltrated the penalty area, Tanzania nearly pulled off an upset against Morocco’s defenses. However, his attempted cross-shot missed the target as he was closely marked by goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch and defender Nassim El Massoudi.

Following the break, Morocco intensified their play and posed greater threats going forward; however, their frequent loss of poise frequently disrupted their scoring opportunities.

Persistence paid off in the 76th minute when Belmokhtar headed in a cross from Ouazane. Just six minutes later, the duo reversed roles, with Ouazane scoring from Belmokhtar’s cross. The Moroccan striker struck again moments later with a superbly taken free kick in the 84th minute, sealing the 3–0 victory.

In this competition, twelve squads have been split into four groups with the aim of securing the championship title. This event doubles as a qualifying round for the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup scheduled to take place in Qatar later this year.

The leading two squads from every group move forward to the quarter-finals and secure their spot at the World Cup. The last two berths for the tournament will be decided through playoffs involving the third-placed teams from the initial stages.