Egypt U-17 players celebrate Ziad Saoud's goal during the 2-1 defeat to Morocco in the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday. Photo: EFA's X account.
The Young Pharaohs ended the group phase with four points, a tally that proved sufficient to advance to the tournament quarter-finals and guarantee one of Africa’s slots for the global showpiece, scheduled to take place in Qatar from 19 November to 13 December.
Morocco opened the scoring through Mohamed Amine Moustache in the 19th minute, before Imran Talai doubled the lead deep into first-half stoppage time.
Ziad Saoudi pulled one back for Egypt in the 48th minute, but the North African hosts held on to claim top spot in Group A.
Egypt’s progression was sealed by their earlier results in the group stage, which included a goalless draw against Ethiopia and a crucial 2-1 victory over Tunisia.
Although Ethiopia defeated Tunisia 1-0 on Tuesday to finish level on points with Egypt, the Young Pharaohs advanced as group runners-up due to a superior head-to-head record against the East Africans.
By reaching the last eight, Egypt joined Morocco in booking their passage to the expanded 48-team World Cup. The Qatar 2026 edition marks the second tournament to feature the new format.
Egypt will now face Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals, with the knockout stage set to begin on 24 May in Salé.
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