Morocco and Senegal will face each other in the CAN U17 final. The young players of these two selections shone during the competition.
In football, the future is bright for Senegal and Morocco. The selections of these two countries qualified for the final of the Africa Cup of Nations U17. Admittedly, not all the players from the different selections had been released by their respective clubs. But the course of the Lionceux of Terenga and the Atlas commands respect.
But in the future, we will also have to rely on Burkina Faso and Mali. These two teams were eliminated in the semi-finals on penalties. On the side of Dakar and Rabat, supporters hope to see their young players lift their first continental trophy.
Something to reassure Sadio Mané, who saw his team lift an African Cup of Nations recently. The international knows that, after him, other players will be able to defend the colors of the Terenga Lions. Like Abdou Fall, scorer in the semi-final against Burkina Faso.
On the Moroccan side too, we were waiting to know if the young generation could take over from players at the end of their cycle. The Atlas Lions made an exceptional World Cup in Qatar, but several players, like Boufal, were certainly playing one of their last international competitions. In the semi-final against Mali, Ait Boudlal was particularly prominent, as were Gaoussou Koné and Fouad Zahouani. The latter offered victory to his team during the penalty shootout.
It will therefore be an unprecedented final for this CAN U17. But beyond the competition, it is the emergence of certain talents that will have marked the minds of the commentators. The selections have shown that the youngsters are ready to take over. Seniors will be able to retire peacefully.