The Moroccan national football team qualified for the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile on Thursday after defeating France on penalties in the semi-final match.
The Atlas Lions defeated the Roosters 5-4 on penalties in the semi-final, after the two matches ended in a 1-1 draw after regular and extra time.
With this victory, Morocco reached the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time in its history.
The Moroccan national team awaits the winner of the match between Argentina and Colombia, which will be held later today.
Morocco has thus advanced to the FIFA U-20 World Cup final for the first time in its history, becoming the second Arab team to advance to the final match after Qatar in 1981.
With this victory, the Moroccan youth team avenged the senior team's defeat to France in the same round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The team lost 2-0, setting up a third-place match against Croatia , which they also lost 2-1, securing fourth place, a remarkable achievement for both the Arab and African nations.
The Moroccan national team started the match strongly, with their first attempt coming in the 12th minute through Othman Maama, who fired a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area that went over the goal.
Frenchman Meissem Ben Nema responded with a powerful shot that was saved by goalkeeper Yanis Ben Chaouch in the 13th minute .
Morocco were awarded a penalty kick half an hour into the match after Frenchman Andrea Le Borgne fouled Ismaël Bakhti inside the penalty area. Yasser Zabiri stepped up to take the kick, but the ball hit the left post before bouncing off the back of French goalkeeper Lisandro Olmeta and into the net .
Morocco almost doubled the score in the 40th minute after an attack from the right side led by Maama, but Fouad Zahouani's shot went wide of the post.
Goalkeeper Ben Chaouch shone in stoppage time of the first half, saving a powerful shot from Illan Toure, and the half ended with Morocco leading 1-0.
France pressed fiercely in the second half and managed to equalize in the 58th minute through Luca Michel, who followed up a cross from the right and put the ball into the net.
The same player almost added a second goal in the 61st minute, but goalkeeper Ben Chaouch brilliantly saved the situation, before he was injured three minutes later and had to leave the field, with substitute goalkeeper Ibrahim Gomis entering the field .
In the 87th minute, Maama penetrated the penalty area and fired a powerful shot that was saved by goalkeeper Olmeta, before the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The two teams played two extra periods, with neither team scoring. The second period of extra time saw the expulsion of player Rabbi Nzingula after receiving a second yellow card for pulling Yassin Jassim's shirt .
At the end of the second period of extra time, Morocco's coach, Mohamed Wahbi, brought on third-choice goalkeeper Hakim Mesbah to take penalty kicks. Mesbah successfully blocked the sixth French penalty kick, securing Morocco's place in the final .
Morocco is awaiting the winner of the match between Argentina and Colombia, which will be held in the early hours of Thursday .
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