# Morocco national under-17 football team

The Morocco national under-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of Morocco and is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The team competes in the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, UNAF U-17 Tournament, Arab Cup U-17 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is held every two years.

## History

On 8 September 2022, Morocco lost the 2022 Arab Cup, after losing in penalties to Algeria.
In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco had a successful run, securing a spot in the knockout stages by finishing atop their group. They demonstrated their prowess by winning two matches and suffering a single defeat. In the subsequent match against Algeria, the Moroccan team emerged triumphant with a remarkable 3-0 victory, solidifying their qualification for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Moving on to the semi-finals, they faced off against Mali in an intense battle that ended with a nail-biting 6-5 victory for Morocco on penalties, thanks to a heroic save by goalkeeper Taha Benrhozil. Ultimately, Morocco finished the tournament in second place after a closely contested final, ending with a 2-1 loss. However, their commendable conduct throughout the competition earned them the fair play award, a testament to their sportsmanship.
In the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Morocco qualified to the knockout stages after finishing top in the group stages winning two matches and losing one. In the Round of 16, they defeated Iran on penalties. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Mali 1-0, a remeet after the 2023 AFCON U-17 took place in Algeria.

## Tournament records
### CAF U-16 and U-17 World Cup Qualifiers record

CAF U-16 and U-17 World Cup Qualifiers :
| Appearances: 1 / 5 |||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1985 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1987 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 1989 | Second Round | | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1991 | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified | Disqualified |
| 1993 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| Total | 1/5 | Second Round | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
* Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

## Current squad

Squad for 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Head coach: Saïd Chiba
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Taha Benrhozil | (2006-06-18)18 June 2006 (aged 17) | Mohammed VI Football Academy |
| 2 | 2DF | Hamza Koutoune | (2006-09-17)17 September 2006 (aged 17) | Mohammed VI Football Academy |
| 3 | 2DF | Fouad Zahouani | (2006-04-18)18 April 2006 (aged 17) | Mohammed VI Football Academy |
| 4 | 3MF | Ayoub Chaikhoun | (2006-01-22)22 January 2006 (aged 17) | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 5 | 2DF | Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal | (2006-04-16)16 April 2006 (aged 17) | Mohammed VI Football Academy |
| 6 | 3MF | Mehdi Akoumi | (2006-05-05)5 May 2006 (aged 17) | Hassania Agadir |
| 7 | 4FW | Anas Alaoui | (2006-04-20)20 April 2006 (aged 17) | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 8 | 3MF | Adam Boufandar | (2006-08-11)11 August 2006 (aged 17) | Juventus |
| 9 | 2DF | Nassim Azaouzi | (2006-03-31)31 March 2006 (aged 17) | Anderlecht |
| 10 | 3MF | Imran Nazih | (2006-01-25)25 January 2006 (aged 17) | Volendam |
| 11 | 4FW | Zakaria Ouazane | (2006-09-24)24 September 2006 (aged 17) | Ajax |
| 12 | 1GK | Hamza Jlid | (2006-12-09)9 December 2006 (aged 16) | Shabab Al Ahli |
| 13 | 2DF | Saifdine Chlaghmo | (2006-01-27)27 January 2006 (aged 17) | AS FAR |
| 14 | 2DF | Yasser El Aissati | (2006-06-12)12 June 2006 (aged 17) | Ajax |
| 15 | 2DF | Naoufel El Hannach | (2006-12-07)7 December 2006 (aged 16) | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 16 | 4FW | Ayman Ennair | (2006-04-06)6 April 2006 (aged 17) | FUS Rabat |
| 17 | 3MF | Abdelhamid Maali | (2006-03-16)16 March 2006 (aged 17) | IR Tanger |
| 18 | 2DF | Mohammed Hamony | (2006-08-05)5 August 2006 (aged 17) | Le Havre |
| 19 | 2DF | Ismaïl Bakhty | (2006-11-29)29 November 2006 (aged 16) | AS FAR |
| 20 | 3MF | Mohamed Katiba | (2006-03-01)1 March 2006 (aged 17) | Hassania Agadir |
| 21 | 1GK | Amine Ezzarhouni | (2006-03-29)29 March 2006 (aged 17) | Lille |

## Honours

* U-17 Africa Cup of Nations
    Runners-up (1): 2023
* Arab Cup U-17
    Runners-up (1): 2022
    Third Place (1): 2012
* UNAF U-17 Tournament:
    Winners (4): 2007, 2011, 2018, 2022
    Runners-up (3): 2009, 2014, 2018
    Third Place (4): 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015