The curtain will finally come down for the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament when South Africa confronts Morocco in the final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday, May 18th.
In the history of the tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), South Africa and Morocco will be meeting in the final for the second time. The two sides faced off in the final of the 1997 edition, which Morocco won 1-0, to seal their first and only U20 AFCON crown.
Now, nearly three decades later, the Young Atlas Lions will be aiming to recapture that historic success, while South Africa’s Amajita will be determined to turn the tables and claim their maiden continental title at this level of the AFCON competitions.
South Africa qualified for the final following a 1-0 semi-final victory against seven-time champions Nigeria on Thursday. A well-taken header by Tylon Smith in the 66th minute proved decisive in a fiercely contested match between two of Africa’s traditional football powerhouses, ending Nigeria’s hopes of winning a record-extending eighth U20 AFCON title.
Meanwhile, Morocco punched their ticket to the final after eliminating hosts Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final clash. During the closely fought battle, substitute Jones El Abdellaoui provided the sucker punch for Egypt, finding the back of the net in the 77th minute. The striker latched onto a well-delivered cross from Ismaël Aouad to calmly slot home, and give the Young Atlas Lions what turned out to be the winner in the North African derby.
How did South Africa and Morocco fare in the group stage
Spearheaded by coach Raymond Mdaka, Amajita went into the tournament pooled in Group A alongside Egypt, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Zambia. They started off their campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Egypt, in which the North Africans scored in the 62nd minute courtesy of Mohamed Abdallah to carry the day.
They dusted off their poor start to edge out Tanzania 1-0 after Shakeel April had scored in the 27th minute, and the win revived their hopes of making it out of the group. They followed up the Tanzania win by hammering Sierra Leone 4-1.
Amajita’s last fixture ended in a 1-1 draw against Zambia, and they thus qualified alongside Egypt to the quarter-final stage. In the quarters, they were drawn to face DR Congo, who had finished third in Group C after amassing four points, the same as second-placed Senegal.
Against Congo, South Africa needed a dramatic 1-0 victory in extra time to become the fourth and final nation to secure their place in the semi-finals. Despite a 0-0 result in regular time, the match burst into life during extra time as Thabang Mahlangu struck the decisive goal in the 109th minute.
The forward was in the right place at the right time to tap in from close range after a precise cross from Shakeel April. In the end, South Africa topped their group with seven points from two wins, one draw and one defeat. They scored six goals and conceded three.
Meanwhile, Morocco found themselves in Group B alongside Nigeria, Tunisia, and Kenya, who were making their first appearance in the tournament. They started off with a 3-2 draw against Kenya’s Rising Stars, drew 0-0 against the Flying Eagles of Nigeria, before they thrashed Tunisia 3-1.
Morocco finished top of the group with seven points, booking a date with Sierra Leone in the last eight. It was not an easy path for Morocco against debutants Sierra Leone, as they had to fight tooth and nail to secure the semi-final ticket.
The tense quarter-final clash at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo saw the North Africans dominate proceedings but struggled to break down a resolute Sierra Leone defence, who pushed Morocco all the way before a cruel deflection settled the tie.
The decisive moment arrived in the 115th minute when Keita inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure, giving Morocco a place in the final four and sealing their qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
In the semis, Morocco faced Egypt, whom they defeated 1-0.
South Africa vs Morocco match facts
South Africa will head into the final having never beaten a North African opposition at the tournament, losing all five encounters. In addition to the 1997 final when they lost against Morocco, they have suffered four 1-0 defeats to Egypt in the group stages of 2001, 2009, 2011, and 2025. All five defeats have been by a single goal, with four ending 1-0.
Meanwhile, Morocco have a perfect record against Southern African teams, having beaten South Africa in the 1997 final and secured group-stage wins over Lesotho (2-0) and Angola (1-0) in 2005. A win for South Africa’s Amajita in the final would make them the 12th different nation to lift the trophy and the second from Southern Africa after Zambia in 2017.
It would also mark the second successive edition to crown a first-time winner, after Senegal’s triumph in 2023. In fact, four of the last five winners have lifted the trophy for the first time.
In each of the three editions where a North African team reached the final on home soil (1991, 1997, and 2013), they won the title. The 2025 final is only the second, after 1997, to feature a Southern African team against a North African team, and the first final since 1997 without a West African participant.
What have both coaches said?
Speaking after they qualified for the final, Amajita’s Mdaka said: “Yes, another win, congratulations to the boys. What a good job, good character, very disciplined, sticking to the agreements, tactical, technical. We really appreciate it.
“As much as it was not easy, our boys are growing in each and every match, growing in character and growing in everything. Thank you so much and well done boys and well done for the country.”
South Africa manager MdakaSAFA Media
Meanwhile, ahead of the final, Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised his opponents, South Africa, calling them “a fierce competitor,” and further stressed the need for his team to recover quickly from the semi-final win and stay focused for the contest.
“The most important match has not yet been played,” he said. “The final is still ahead, and it will be against a South African team that has shown great quality throughout the tournament.
“We have a lot of respect for the South African team. They’re strong, organised, and they don’t give anything away easily. We’ll celebrate tonight, but then we rest, recover, and plan carefully for the biggest match of our lives.”
Ouahbi concluded: “We’ve come a long way, but we must now prove that we are the best. That’s what finals are for.”
However, before the final, there will be an early playoff match to decide who finishes third with Nigeria set to take on Egypt at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
Follow the final on Sunday, May 18th at 20:00 CET
Dennis MabukaFlashscore