U20 World Cup: A daring bet propels Morocco into the final
U20 World Cup: Morocco’s bold gamble eliminates France and secures spot in the final
The French dream was shattered on the brink of the final. On Wednesday night, France was knocked out by Morocco in the U20 World Cup semi-finals after a heart-stopping penalty shootout. The hero of the evening, Abdelhakim Mesbahi, the Atlas Cubs’ third-choice goalkeeper, denied Djylian N’Guessan’s last attempt and delivered a historic qualification for his country.
🚨🚨 LE MAROC 🇲🇦 ÉLIMINE LA FRANCE 🇫🇷 (AUX T.A.B) ET SE QUALIFIE EN FINALE DE LA COUPE DU MONDE U20 !!! 🌍🤩🏆 pic.twitter.com/UhUVzNvNWD
— 🏆 Actu Foot Afrique (@ActuFootAfrique) October 15, 2025
This gripping encounter saw Moroccan coach Mohamed Ouahbi pull off a unique tactical masterstroke. After losing his starting goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch to injury despite a heroic first half, he initially turned to Ibrahim Gomis, the usual backup. Then, in the dying moments of extra time, he gambled by bringing on his third-choice keeper for the decisive shootout. It was a bold move, but one that paid off—emblematic of a Morocco determined to make history.
“I’m quite emotional because this is a historic moment, but we want to win the final. We’ll calm down quickly because what we really want is to lift the trophy,” Ouahbi said after the match.
Heading to their first ever world final in this age category, Morocco is now determined to turn their dream into reality.
