In a hard-fought Quarter-Final marked by intense duels, the difference ultimately came down to efficiency in both penalty areas. Cameroon created several scoring opportunities through their striker Massokon, but Morocco made the decisive moment count, scoring the match-winning goal early in the game (17’). From there, Morocco defended with discipline and strong organization to secure their place in the semi-final, where they will face Senegal.
Morocco, coached by the Portuguese manager Tiago Lima Pereira, lined up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation and adopted a mid-block approach, conceding large spells of possession to their opponents while applying man-oriented marking in midfield (see image below).
After taking the lead through left-back Mohamed Habib Zinbi, Morocco dropped into a compact low block, closing central spaces and forcing the opposition wide, where they were prepared to defend their penalty area by blocking and intercepting crosses. They protected the box effectively against deliveries from wide areas through tight and disciplined marking of their opponents (see image below).
Cameroon, coached by Jean Eyoum in a 1-4-3-3 formation, tried to disrupt Morocco’s defensive shape during the build-up phase by moving left-back Franck Fomakwang into central areas. This created space on the left side for winger Tsombeng to receive the ball from left centre-back Esingala (see image below).
Cameroon also used long balls from the goalkeeper and centre-backs towards their forwards, especially during the opening stages of the match. Out of possession, they applied a high press, with attacking midfielder Krys pushing up alongside striker Massokon on the front line, while the other two midfielders stepped forward to press Morocco’s two central midfielders (see image below).
Here the players who stood out in this match:
Mohamed Amine Moustache (Morocco / Oud-Heverlee Leuven U23), striker born 2009.
Mohamed is a tall striker who is strong in the air and effective when playing with his back to goal, combining well with team-mates through precise link-up passes, as shown in his team’s goal. He uses his strength, balance, and body positioning intelligently to protect the ball from defenders, while also showing good timing in his movements when dropping deeper to receive possession.
Ibrahim Rabbaj (Morocco / Chelsea U18), right winger born 2009.
Ibrahim is an agile, left-footed inverted winger with outstanding technique, who combines well with his team-mates using quick one- and two-touch play, and can dribble past opponents to progress the ball. He also shows excellent awareness when receiving the ball between the lines.
Abdoulraman Soudeisse (Cameroon / AS Dauphine FC), defensive midfielder born 2009.
Abdoulraman is a tall defensive midfielder with good vision and strong long-range passing accuracy. He provides effective support by offering passing angles to teammates and is also capable of playing precise short passes through the lines.
Karel Krys (Cameroon / Indomables Academie Cameroon), offensive midfielder born 2009.
Karel played precise, penetrative passes through and over the opposition defensive line. He used his body well to turn under pressure with a defender on his back, and showed confidence when shooting from outside the box.
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