Morocco’s U17 national team began its campaign at the 2026 UNAF qualifying tournament with a narrow 1–0 defeat to Algeria on Tuesday, 10 November, at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse, Tunisia. The result gives Algeria an important opening victory, while the Atlas Cubs must now respond quickly in their remaining matches.
Algeria edge Morocco in the opening match
The North African derby was the first fixture for both teams in the regional competition, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U17. Algeria secured the only goal of the game to claim all three points. The final score was Algeria 1–0 Morocco.
The match took place at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse. Morocco, coached by Nabil Baha, will be disappointed to start with a defeat, but the short format leaves little time to dwell on the result. Algeria are guided by former international midfielder Karim Ziani for this younger group.
Available match reports confirmed the 1–0 result but did not provide a verified goalscorer, minute, or complete match statistics at the time of publication. Lions12 will avoid publishing unconfirmed details.
Morocco U17 next match: Egypt on 13 November
The Atlas Cubs will return to action on Friday, 13 November, against Egypt in their second match of the tournament. The fixture is scheduled to take place at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse, with kick-off listed for 17:00 local time in the revised schedule.
- Match: Egypt U17 vs Morocco U17
- Date: Friday, 13 November 2026
- Kick-off: 17:00 (Tunisia and Morocco time)
- Venue: Olympic Stadium, Sousse, Tunisia
- Round: Matchday 2
Morocco will be looking for a positive response against Egypt and a result that keeps their campaign on track ahead of the final matchday.
Algeria face Tunisia in Matchday 2
Algeria’s next test will be against hosts Tunisia on Friday, 13 November. The match is scheduled for 14:00 at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse. After beating Morocco, Algeria will aim to build on their winning start, while Tunisia will be seeking points in front of their home supporters.
Matchday 3: Morocco vs Tunisia and Algeria vs Egypt
The competition will conclude on Monday, 16 November, with two simultaneous fixtures scheduled for 14:00 local time:
- Morocco U17 vs Tunisia U17 — Olympic Stadium, Sousse.
- Algeria U17 vs Egypt U17 — Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium, Monastir.
These final matches could prove decisive in determining the regional standings. The tournament was reduced to four teams after Libya withdrew, leaving Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt to compete in a single round-robin format. The two highest-placed teams in the final standings are set to secure qualification for the 2027 U17 AFCON finals.
Revised UNAF U17 schedule
| Matchday | Date | Fixture | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Nov | Algeria 1–0 Morocco | Full Time |
| 1 | 10 Nov | Tunisia vs Egypt | 17:00 |
| 2 | 13 Nov | Tunisia vs Algeria | 14:00 |
| 2 | 13 Nov | Egypt vs Morocco | 17:00 |
| 3 | 16 Nov | Morocco vs Tunisia | 14:00 |
| 3 | 16 Nov | Algeria vs Egypt | 14:00 |
All kick-off times are local to Tunisia, which is on the same time as Morocco in November. Fixture details are based on the revised schedule available at publication and may be subject to confirmation by the organisers.
What the defeat means for the Atlas Cubs
The opening loss puts pressure on Morocco to collect points against Egypt and Tunisia. With only three matchdays in the revised format, every result matters. The next fixture against Egypt is therefore an important opportunity for Nabil Baha’s side to recover, show a stronger response and keep their hopes alive in the UNAF competition.
For more coverage, visit the Atlas Lions section on Lions12.