U17 World Cup: Morocco nets 16 goals against New Caledonia to advance to the round of 16 | OneFootball

Maroc U17

Morocco has made another resounding statement on the world stage. The Atlas Lions U17 squad demolished New Caledonia this Sunday with a staggering 16-0 victory at the World Cup.

This Sunday, Morocco faced New Caledonia in the U17 World Cup. The Lions, having previously lost to Portugal (0-6) and Japan (0-2), were on the brink of elimination and needed a miracle to qualify. In a tournament featuring 48 teams, with the eight best third-placed teams advancing, Morocco had to secure a massive win to keep even the faintest hope alive. On the other side, New Caledonia had managed to pull off a surprise by holding Japan to a 0-0 draw.

In the match, Morocco struck first with an early goal by Bilal Soukrat (3'), followed by a quick brace from Oualid Ibn Salah (11', 18'). At 3-0, the game took a dramatic turn after two New Caledonian players were sent off, leaving their team with nine men from the 29th minute. By halftime, the score had already soared to 7-0 for Morocco, thanks to goals from Abdelali Eddaoudi (brace), Ilyas Hidaoui, and Ziyad Baha.

After the break, the floodgates remained open, with more goals coming from Nahel Haddani (brace), Zakari El Khalfioui, Abdellah Ouazane (brace), and Ismail El Aoud (brace). With this emphatic win, Morocco, finishing third in their group with 3 points and a goal difference of +8, miraculously clinched their spot in the round of 16.