The Senegalese Young Lions of Teranga and the Moroccan Atlas Cubs will face off for the trophy on Friday, May 20, 2023, at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.
The 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations final will feature two nations playing for the first time at that stage of the competition, making the eventual victor a first-time champion since 1995.
The Atlas Cubs of Morocco had the best result in the CAF U-17 competition in 2013 when they played as a host nation and finished fourth, while Senegal’s Young Lions of Teranga finished third in the group stage in Rwanda and Tanzania in 2011 and 2019.
The Young Lions of Teranga of Senegal defeated the Young Stallions of Burkina Faso 5-4 in a penalty shootout at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Annaba following a 1-1 draw during regulation time.
Abdou Aziz Fall, the defensive midfielder of the Senegal U-17, gave his side the lead 16 minutes into the first half, but the score was levelled by centre forward Rachide Ouedraogo of Rahimo FC in the 83rd minute.
Nigeria’s referee, Abdulsalam Kasim, ended a barren score in the second semi-final of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine involving the Moroccans and the Malians.
The Moroccans overcame the two-time champion of the competition, Mali, 6-5 after a penalty shootout; two players of the Atlas Cubs missed their penalties after eight rounds of penalty kicks; and three players of the Young Stallions missed their spot kicks.
The two teams will be meeting for the second time in the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations; their first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw on April 15, 2019, when it was hosted in Tanzania.
The two teams deserve to play in the grand finale of the competition since they both finished at the top of their respective groups. Senegal won all three of their games in Group A, and Morocco finished first in Group B of the competition after winning two games and drawing the other.
