The Morocco under-20 head coach has applauded South Africa’s focus after they won their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title at this age group.
Check Out: Davids On 2-0 Loss: It’s Only Half-Time
The final of the continental showpiece was a repeat of the 1997 iteration of the competition, where a star-studded Amajita side — which included the likes of Benni McCarthy and Quinton Fortune — faced the North African nation.
On that occasion, however, it was the young Atlas Lions who emerged victorious, defeating their Southern African counterparts 1-0 in the grand finale.
Twenty-eight years later, the two sides met again at the same stage of the tournament at the 30 June Stadium in Egypt, but this time Gomolemo Kekana’s wonder strike in the 70th minute proved decisive as South Africa won the match 1-0 to earn their first continental title at under-20 level.
Goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe put on a standout performance, thwarting the Moroccans from finding the back of the net and ultimately earning Man of the Match honours. While Lowe’s heroics, coupled with Kekana’s goal, saw Raymond Mdaka’s charges crowned champions, Moroccan coach Mohamed Ouahbi credited the opposition’s focus as the key to their success.
"We gave everything we had, but South Africa was the most focused. We will continue to work to strengthen our position on the continent,” he said after the match, as per Kooora.
Check Out: Ronaldo Jr Scores First Goals For Portugal To Win Final
Both nations now have one Under-20 title to their name and will be hoping to carry that momentum into the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year, as they now vie for global honours.
