Can Morocco’s U20 Fairytale Inspire Africa?

Morocco’s 5-4 penalties win over France at the semifinals of the U20 World Cup has stirred dreams higher than Casablanca. It was a tactical masterpiece, emotional strength, and a fairytale cameo appearance by substitute goalkeeper Abdelhakim El Mesbahi that helped the North African nation to send its country to its first-ever final in tournament history.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi replaced the injured Al-Mesbahi, who had not participated in any previous game, just before the penalty shootout. With a water bottle engraved with specific penalty information, he was the unforeseen hero when he rescued France’s last kick. His decisive visit was a ticket to Morocco’s grand final against six-time champions Argentina.

Morocco’s path has been remarkable, as it topped a list of giants including such countries as Brazil and Spain, and then defeated South Korea and USA. Their coordinated defense and counter-attacking brilliance is evidence of the emergence of African strategic maturity in youth level.

The current generation of Moroccan football players has now been proclaimed as a representation of the increased richness of African youths by football professionals. The triumph would affect additional African federations to invest in data-driven training and scouting by analytics.

The last against Argentina on Sunday is not going to be a mere football match, but rather a declaration. Win or lose, the U20 team of Morocco has already put its own positive mark on the sporting story of the continent and has already shown that through well-organized ambition, it is possible to surpass history and hierarchy.