Amid a fantastic atmosphere at the Complexe Sportif Moulay Abdallah, hosts Morocco and Senegal contested a tense semi-final that remained level at 1–1 after regular time. The match was ultimately decided by a dramatic penalty shootout, with Senegal emerging victorious 7–6.
Morocco, coached by Tiago Lima Pereira and set up in a 1-4-3-3 formation, showed confidence in possession and were well organized at set pieces.
On goal-kicks, their defensive midfielder frequently received behind the first line of pressure from straightforward passes by the goalkeeper. They then bypassed the press either by allowing him to turn and face forward or through the use of third-man combinations (see image below).
They looked to progress through the half-spaces, especially down the left, where left centre-back Soudi consistently found teammates between the lines by exploiting gaps in the opposition midfield (see image below).
Senegal, coached by Lamine Sané and set up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation, adopted a direct approach, playing long balls either into the space behind the defence or towards aerial duels before competing aggressively for the second ball. This approach led to their opening goal in the 23rd minute of the first half.
Their pressing structure was a 1-4-4-2 in both goal-kick situations and open play. Faye stepped up to join Sy in the first line of pressure, and together they focused on blocking passing lanes into the opposition defensive midfielder, Velilles (see image below).
Here the players who stood out in this match:
Ismail El Aoud (Morocco / Valencia CF), left winger born 2009.
An inverted winger with good awareness and vision, capable of receiving between the lines with sharp first touches to evade opponents. He delivered dangerous inswinging crosses and showed confidence in shooting from distance. He scored the equaliser for 1–1 in the final minute of regular time, reacting quickly after his initial penalty was saved, and later showed composure and bravery by converting a Panenka in the penalty shootout.
Luis Velilles (Morocco / Deportivo Alavés), defensive midfielder born 2009.
Luis is an intelligent midfielder who links play effectively through precise short passing and strong positional awareness. He consistently offers effective passing angles to support possession and facilitate ball progression. In addition to his combination play, he is capable of switching play and finding teammates over longer distances with accurate long-range passes. Defensively, he reads the game well and is able to intercept forward passes, helping his team regain possession and disrupt opposition attacks.
Cheikh Sy (Senegal / Castors FC), striker born 2011.
Cheikh is a physically imposing striker with strong athletic qualities and a commanding aerial presence. He controlled aerial balls effectively with both his feet and chest, while also showing the ability to beat opponents 1v1 in wide areas and deliver dangerous early crosses.
El Hadji Ibrahima Sow (Senegal / AS Dakar Sacré-Cœur), offensive midfilder born 2009.
An agile, left-footed box-to-box midfielder with excellent dribbling ability. He is highly effective at changing direction with the ball at sharp angles to evade opponents and possesses explosive acceleration over the first few metres. Defensively, he is precise and committed in his tackling, showing a strong willingness to win the ball back. He quickly identifies forward passing options upon regaining possession.
Here you can find articles related to previous matches: Morocco vs Cameroon, where Moroccan right winger Rabbaj and striker Moustache were highlighted, and Senegal vs Algeria, where Senegalese left winger Wagne and centre-back Dieng stood out.
