A new chapter will be written in African youth football history this Sunday when South Africa’s U20 men’s national team face Morocco in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations).
Amajita’s Redemption Story
It’s been 28 years since Amajita last reached the final of the continental youth showpiece – a heartbreaking 1997 defeat to none other than Morocco.
Now, led by head coach Raymond Mdaka, the class of 2025 has a chance to rewrite that script and etch their names into African football history.
Their road to the final has been anything but smooth. After opening their campaign with a narrow defeat to hosts Egypt, questions were raised.
But the group rallied, growing stronger with each outing. A crucial final grouo match draw with Zambia secured top spot in Group A, while commanding wins over Sierra Leone and DR Congo followed in the knockout rounds.
In the semi-finals, it was Tylon Smith’s 66th-minute strike – expertly set up by the influential Neo Rapoo – that downed Nigeria 1-0 in Ismailia and booked South Africa’s second-ever final berth.
Earlier in the quarter-finals, Thabang Mahlangu’s extra-time goal had already ensured World Cup qualification for Chile 2025.
Mdaka has rotated wisely and kept his squad motivated throughout, even after key players like Siyabonga Mabena (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Orlando Pirates) were ruled out pre-tournament.
His tactical nous and belief in youth have paid off handsomely, with goals shared across the squad and a rock-solid defensive line anchored by Teboho Pitso and captain Jody Ahshene.
Morocco’s Relentless March
On the other side of the pitch, Morocco arrive with an equally compelling story. The Young Atlas Lions have not lost in open play in over 12 matches at this level and have built their campaign on structure, resilience, and timely goals.
After topping Group B unbeaten – including a 3-2 win over Kenya and a 3-1 triumph against Tunisia – Morocco edged past Sierra Leone in the quarter-finals via an own goal deep in extra time, before a disciplined 1-0 victory over hosts Egypt in the semi-final sealed their return to the final for the first time since 2005.
Their head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has been clear: “The most important match has not yet been played.” The Moroccan boss praised South Africa’s quality and insists his side must be at their very best to overcome a “strong, organised and determined” opponent.
Striker Jones El Abdellaoui has emerged as a match-winner off the bench, while the likes of Ismaël Aouad and Ayman Safsafi have played key creative roles. Morocco boast the tournament’s highest shot conversion rate and have not conceded a goal in their last three matches – a testament to their compact defensive unit.
Final On A Knife’s Edge
While Morocco bring pedigree and tactical control, South Africa offer raw spirit, attacking flair, and the psychological motivation of avenging their 1997 loss.
Both nations have already achieved their initial goals of World Cup qualification – but there is no doubt that the continent’s crown remains the ultimate prize.
Will Amajita finally lift the trophy that eluded them in the past, or will Morocco complete their 20-year journey back to the top? Africa waits.
Key Match Facts
South Africa have never beaten North African opposition at the tournament, losing all five encounters.
In addition to the 1997 final, they have suffered four 1-0 defeats to Egypt in the group stages of 2001, 2009, 2011, and 2025. All five defeats have been by a single goal, with four ending 1-0.
Morocco boast a perfect record against Southern African teams, having beaten South Africa in the 1997 final and secured group-stage wins over Lesotho (2-0) and Angola (1-0) in 2005.
This is South Africa’s fifth final across CAF youth and senior tournaments. They previously reached the senior finals in 1996 and 1998, defeating Tunisia and losing to Egypt, respectively.
At U-20 level, they lost the 1997 final to Morocco. A win this time would make them the 12th different nation to lift the trophy and the second from Southern Africa after Zambia in 2017.
It would also mark the second successive edition to crown a first-time winner, after Senegal’s triumph in 2023. In fact, four of the last five winners have lifted the trophy for the first time.
Both teams followed identical knockout paths to the final: extra-time wins in the quarterfinals and 1-0 victories in regulation time in the semifinals.
South Africa beat DR Congo after extra time and then Nigeria, while Morocco edged Sierra Leone in extra time before defeating hosts Egypt.
This is the fifth U-20 AFCON tournament hosted in North Africa since the switch to a single-format in 1991. Egypt hosted in 1991, 2023, and 2025, while Morocco and Algeria hosted in 1997 and 2013 respectively.
In each of the three editions where a North African team reached the final on home soil (1991, 1997, 2013), they won the title. The 2025 final is only the second, after 1997, to feature a Southern African team against a North African team, and the first final since 1997 without a West African participant.
Of the previous 24 finals, none have ended goalless. Four went to extra time, with two settled in open play – Egypt’s 4-3 win over Côte d’Ivoire in 2003 and Nigeria’s 3-2 win over Cameroon in 2011. Two others, in 2013 and 2019, were decided by penalties. Since 1991, 13 of 17 finals have been settled in 90 minutes.
The most common scoreline in finals has been 2-0, occurring nine times. The highest-scoring final was in 2003, with seven goals.
SOUTH AFRICA FACTS
· South Africa reached the final after a 1-0 win over Nigeria. It is the first time they have won four matches in a single edition, including three 1-0 victories and a 4-1 win over Sierra Leone.
· After failing to score in their opener, they have netted eight goals across their next five games and conceded only twice. They are unbeaten in their last five matches, having lost their opener to Egypt, and have kept three clean sheets – their joint-best tally at a single edition.
· Goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe has been key, making 24 saves, the most in the tournament.
· Tylon Smith’s goal against Nigeria, assisted by Neo Rapoo, was his first of the tournament and South Africa’s eighth. Smith is one of six different scorers for the team.
· Rapoo, along with Shakeel April, has two assists and three total goal involvements. South Africa have won more duels (297 to Morocco’s 266) and more tackles (64 to 53), with a better tackle success rate (71.9% to 63.9%).
· Historically, South Africa had never won a knockout match in open play before this edition. Their only previous successes came in penalty shootouts – against Ghana in the 1997 semifinal and Nigeria in the 2019 third-place match. At this edition, they have won both knockout matches in regulation or extra time.
MOROCCO FACTS
· Morocco reached the final by defeating Kenya (3-2), drawing with Nigeria (0-0), and beating Tunisia (3-1) in the group stage. They then won 1-0 after extra time against Sierra Leone and beat Egypt 1-0 in the semifinals.
· Prior to 2025, Morocco had never won a knockout match outside their home soil.
· Unbeaten in their last 14 matches in open play at the U-20 AFCON (W8 D6), Morocco’s last defeat in open play came in 2003, a 4-0 group-stage loss to Egypt.
· All four of their past penalty shootouts have ended in defeat. This is the first time they’ve reached the final without a group-stage loss.
· Morocco, like South Africa, have scored eight goals with six different players contributing. Jones El Abdellaoui and Yassir Zabiri lead the team with two goals each. El Abdellaoui scored the semifinal winner as a substitute – both his goals have come off the bench.
· Hossam Essadak has created 11 chances, more than any other Moroccan player.
· In the semifinal win over Egypt, Morocco did not face a single shot on target. They have conceded just three goals and faced 18 shots on target across five matches.
· Their shot conversion rate (15.38%) slightly edges South Africa’s (14.55%). Notably, six of Morocco’s eight goals have come after halftime, with five in the second half and one in extra time.
· They have yet to score in the opening 40 minutes of any match.
WHERE TO WATCH: TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Final
The much anticipated encounter, which is a repeat of the 1997 decider between the same two sides, will take place at 18:00 GMT (21:00 local time) at the 30 June Stadium.
As two of the continent’s most exciting young sides prepare to battle for top honours, CAF has confirmed the list of broadcasters that will televise the match live.
You can watch the Final Live on various platforms including beIN Sport (MENA, France, Asia-Pacific and Americas), Canal+ (sub-Saharan Africa), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa), New World TV (sub-Saharan Africa), Azam Media, SABC and On-Time Sport.
CAF’s YouTube official page, CAF TV, will show the match in the rest of the world but not in the MENA region and other selected sub-Saharan territories.
SOURCE: CAF ONLINE
