U23 AFCON: Hosts Morocco defeat 10-man Egypt to claim trophy

Morocco’s under-23 national team claimed victory in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, beating 10-man Egypt 2-1 in a thrilling match on Saturday.

Egypt took an early lead with midfielder Mahmoud Saber scoring a brilliant goal from outside the area after just ten minutes.

However, the young Pharaohs’ hopes of victory were dashed when Saber was shown a red card in the 18th minute for a reckless challenge on Moroccan forward Abde Ezzalzouli.

Morocco’s Yanis Begraoui equalized in the 37th minute after receiving a wide pass from right-back Bilal El Khannouss inside the area.

In the second half, Egypt’s wingers Ibrahim Adel and Osama Faisal had a few scoring chances while keeper Hamza Alaa, who has been unbeaten until the final, put in an excellent performance to keep his team in the game.

In extra time, midfielder Oussama Targhalline scored the winning goal for Morocco from a free kick outside the area, securing the title for the hosts.

Egypt, Morocco, and Mali, who defeated Guinea in the third-place decider, have already secured their spots in the 2024 Paris Olympics as the top three teams from the tournament.

This victory marks Morocco’s first-ever U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title, with Gabon winning in 2011, Nigeria in 2015, and Egypt in 2019.