U17 AFCON: Côte d'Ivoire in the quarters and at the World Cup, Cameroon and Egypt win

 



Group A: Egypt and Morocco, the good deal
The North African derby between Egypt and Tunisia kept observers on their toes until the end. The match was initially a duel in cold blood on each side of the pitch, with both teams managing to shake the net on penalty (11th for Tunisia and 42nd for Egypt). As we were heading towards a point sharing that no one was happy with, the fate of the match changed at the end of regulation time. Sharper, the young Egyptians crucified Tunisia in the last moments on a goal by Amir Abu El Ezz (2-1, 89th). A crucial victory that allows the Pharaohs to take control of the group.

In the other meeting, jostled and hooked during their entry into the competition, Morocco knew they were waiting in front of their home fans. Facing a catchy Ethiopian team, the Lion Cubs of the Atlas had to work but ended up scoring their first success in this extra time thanks to the decisive entry of Imran Talai CAN (2-1, 90th+1). A victory synonymous with relief for the host country, which immediately catches up with Egypt at the head of Pool A. The last day of this phase is already promising to be explosive for the attribution of first place.

Group B: Imperial Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon relaunches
Nothing seems to be able to stop Côte d'Ivoire in the beginning of this tournament. Opposed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ivorians showed incredible maturity to get a second consecutive success. The salute came from a converted penalty in the additional time of the second half, tipping a previously very indecisive encounter (1-0, 90th+2). With this short but valuable success, Côte d'Ivoire makes a double hit: it officially validates its ticket to the quarter-finals of the CAN and ensures, at the same time, a historic place for the next U17 World Cup. Conversely, the situation is becoming critical for the DRC which, with two defeats in as many games, sees its chances of qualification greatly reduced.

With their backs to the wall after their initial setback against the Ivorians, the Cameroonians were not allowed to make mistakes or they would see the whole adventure turn into a fiasco. In front of them, Uganda offered a big challenge, confiscating the ball and dominating territorially most of the game. But dominating is not winning. Cold with realism and strong defensively, the Cameroonians were able to do a good job before punishing their opponent on one of their few opportunities (1-0, 24th). This burst of pride allows Cameroon to restart completely in the race for the quarter-finals, leaving all the suspense behind the untouchable Ivorian leader.