Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and Tanzania reached the U17 AFCON semi finals in Rabat this weekend after a series of dramatic knockout fixtures.
A Major continental shockwave
The youth tournament in Morocco has delivered incredible storylines but none bigger than Tanzania’s monumental quarter final upset over Algeria.
Following a chaotic and wildly entertaining 3-3 draw in normal time, the East African squad held their nerve from the spot.
They secured a 4-3 penalty shootout victory, successfully dumping the highly favored young Foxes out of the competition and sending a clear warning to the rest of the continent.
🇸🇳🆚🇲🇱When #TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 quarter-final football goes to penalties… 🍿 pic.twitter.com/oSY5kfwd9z
— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) May 24, 2026
North African giants march on
Meanwhile the host nation maintained their quest to defend the continental crown. Morocco secured their semi final ticket by edging past a physical Cameroon side.
A decisive 17th minute strike from Mohamed Habib Zenbi was enough to seal a narrow 1-0 win at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.
Joining the Atlas Cubs in the final four are Egypt. The young Pharaohs displayed ruthless attacking efficiency to completely dismantle Ivory Coast 4-1.
Their dominant progression to the next round was heavily fueled by a brilliant brace from rising star Mahmoud Mokhtar.
Senegal survive late drama
Senegal also punched their ticket to the final four but they were forced to do it the hard way.
The Young Lions of Teranga were locked in a tense 1-1 tactical stalemate against Mali. When the final whistle blew, the Senegalese youngsters showed ice cool composure during the shootout, ultimately winning 4-2 to keep their title hopes alive.
The semi final schedule
The stage is now set for an epic double header this Thursday 28 May. Both high stakes clashes will unfold at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat:
- Egypt vs Tanzania: Kick-off at 16:00 GMT
- Morocco vs Senegal: Kick-off at 19:00 GMT
🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇨🇮 1-4 🇪🇬Egypt produce a brilliant attacking display to secure a big win over Côte d’Ivoire. 🔥#TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 pic.twitter.com/iI1AsM8CTL
— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) May 24, 2026
A global stage awaits in Qatar
While lifting the African trophy remains the ultimate prize this week reaching the knockout stages has already unlocked a massive milestone for these squads.
According to CAF’s revamped qualification format for FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar advancing to quarter finals automatically guaranteed all of Africa’s top eight performers a spot on the global stage.
The presence of Egypt in these semi finals brings back strong echoes of 1997, the only time the young Pharaohs have ever lifted this specific trophy.
They will be desperate to end a 29 year youth drought but they must first overcome a fearless Tanzanian side.
On the other side of the bracket, the heavyweight clash between defending champions Morocco and a tactically elite Senegalese squad promises to be a modern classic.
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
