Morocco’s U23 national team made an important step towards the next round of the 2027 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifiers after securing a 1-0 away victory over Ethiopia in the first leg of their second-round tie on Thursday, 12 November 2026. The match was played at Dire Dawa Stadium, with kick-off at 13:00 Moroccan time (16:00 local time).
Morocco take a valuable 1-0 lead in Dire Dawa
The Atlas Cubs finished the first meeting with a narrow advantage, winning 1-0 away from home. The result gives Morocco a positive position ahead of the decisive return leg in Rabat. The match-centre screenshot confirms the full-time score as Ethiopia U23 0-1 Morocco U23, with the score already 0-1 at half-time.
Detailed match statistics and the official event timeline were not available in the match centre at the time of publication. For that reason, no scorer, assists, possession figures or disciplinary incidents are being attributed without official confirmation.
Return leg: Morocco host Ethiopia in Rabat on 17 November
The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, 17 November 2026, at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Kick-off is set for 15:30 Morocco time. Morocco will look to protect their first-leg advantage on home soil and book their place in the next qualifying round.
The tie is played over two legs, so the aggregate score across both matches will determine which team progresses. Ethiopia must respond in Rabat, while Morocco can build on the away win but will still need a disciplined performance in front of their home supporters.
Official match information and referees
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation confirmed that the first leg would take place at Dire Dawa Stadium on 12 November at 13:00 Morocco time. The return match was scheduled for 17 November at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, starting at 15:30. The federation also announced the appointed referees for both fixtures.
For the first leg, Malagasy referee Andriatsara Arnaud Zafimahatoha was appointed, assisted by Larenion Miladera and Ravoavy Hasinoro Fitiavana. Nigerian referee Abubakar Abdallah was appointed for the return match, with Ahmed Tijani Mustapha and Tejiri Besmart Digbori as assistants.
Morocco U23 squad and qualification picture
Head coach Jamal Aït Ben Idder selected a 25-player squad for the two matches against Ethiopia. The away victory gives his side an important platform before the return fixture, but qualification will only be settled after the second leg in Rabat.
Follow more updates on the Atlas Lions, check the latest fixtures and results on our Matches page, and read our earlier Morocco U23 preview of the Ethiopia double-header.
What comes next?
All attention now turns to Rabat on 17 November. Morocco have the advantage after winning the first leg 1-0 in Ethiopia, but the team must complete the job in the return match to advance. Lions12 will update this report with confirmed scorers, line-ups and post-match reactions if the relevant official information becomes available.
Sources:
Royal Moroccan Football Federation – match dates and appointments; FRMF – 25-player U23 squad announcement; CAF – U23 AFCON qualifying fixtures.