MATCH FACTS: Morocco, Egypt clash in North African derby semi-final

Morocco and hosts Egypt meet for the seventh time in the history of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in a North African derby semi-final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Thursday (kick-off 21:00 local time / 18:00 GMT).

Their previous encounters took place in 1981, 1985, 1993, 1997, 2003, and 2005. Morocco have one win, Egypt have two, and three matches have ended in draws.

Their first meeting came in the First Round of the 1981 edition, where Morocco won 3-1 on aggregate, claiming a 2-0 home win before drawing 1-1 in Egypt.

In the 1993 group stage, Egypt won 4-1, followed by a goalless draw in 1997. Egypt won again in 2003 with a 4-0 scoreline, and their most recent meeting in 2005 ended 2-2.

Egypt are unbeaten in their last five finals matches against Morocco. Across their six previous encounters at the tournament finals, a total of 17 goals have been scored at an average of 2.83 per game.

Egypt have scored 11 goals (1.83 per game), while Morocco have netted 6 (1 per game).

This will be the first time the two nations face off in a direct knockout match.

Morocco are playing against a host nation at the finals for only the second time. Their only previous encounter came against Benin in the 2005 third-place playoff, where they drew 1-1 before losing 5-3 on penalties.

The teams also met in the 2024 UNAF qualifying tournament for the current finals. Morocco won 2-1 in the opening match for both teams on 14 November 2024 at the Suez Canal Stadium. Morocco finished as tournament winners, with Egypt as runners-up in the five-team round-robin event.

Morocco have already defeated one North African rival in this tournament, beating Tunisia 3-1 in the group stage. They reached the semi-finals unbeaten, with a 3-2 win over Kenya, a 0-0 draw with Nigeria, a 3-1 win over Tunisia, and a 1-0 extra-time victory against Sierra Leone in the quarterfinals.

MOROCCO FACTS
·      Morocco have qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, marking their third appearance after 1997 and 2005. This is the first time Morocco have gone four matches unbeaten in a single edition.

·      In 1997, they lost their third group game to Ghana before winning the semi-final against Côte d’Ivoire and the final against South Africa.

·      This is Morocco’s fourth appearance in the semi-finals. Their record in this stage, including matches decided on penalties, stands at one win and two losses. They are seeking to reach the final for only the second time, having won the tournament on home soil in 1997. A win would mark their first final outside Morocco.

·      Their previous semi-final appearances include a 2-1 aggregate loss to Togo in 1987 (1-0 win at home, 2-0 loss away), a 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire in 1997, and a 2-2 draw against Nigeria in 2005, which they lost 5-3 on penalties.

·      Morocco have now won three matches in open play at this edition – the first time they’ve achieved that since 1997. A fourth win would mark a new record for them in a single edition.

·      Since 1993, Morocco have played in two quarterfinals and two semi-finals in direct knockout matches. They’ve recorded two wins (2-1 vs Côte d’Ivoire in 1997 and 1-0 vs Sierra Leone in 2025) and two penalty shootout losses (vs Nigeria in 2005 and Tunisia in 2021).

·      Including their 1997 final win over South Africa and a 2005 third-place shootout loss to Nigeria, Morocco have played six knockout matches since 1993, winning three in open play and losing three on penalties. They have never lost a knockout match in open play.

·      Morocco have participated in four penalty shootouts at the finals, losing all of them: vs Tunisia (1981), Nigeria and Benin (2005), and Tunisia again (2021).

·      Against Sierra Leone, Morocco had six shots on target. In their 3-1 win over Tunisia, they registered seven. However, they had no shots on target against Nigeria.

·      All seven of Morocco’s goals in this tournament have come after the 40th minute. Two were scored in the final five minutes of the first half, four in the second half, and one in extra time.

·      Hossam Essadak leads the team in chance creation with 11, the most by any Moroccan player.

·      Morocco have had 22 shots on target, the most of any semi-finalist, and boast the best shot conversion rate among the final four at 16.28%.

·      They have completed 1,334 passes – second only to South Africa – and lead in successful crosses with 14.

EGYPT FACTS
·      Egypt began their campaign with a 1-0 win over South Africa, followed by a heavy 4-0 loss to Sierra Leone and a goalless draw with Zambia. In the quarterfinals, they beat Tanzania 1-0, then drew 2-2 with Ghana before winning on penalties.

·      Their progression secures a ninth appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Egypt are aiming for a sixth final, having previously reached the title match in 1981, 1991, 2003, 2005, and 2013.

·      A win would see them reach their second final on home soil (after 1991) and their third final hosted in North Africa (including Algeria in 2013).

·      This is Egypt’s eighth semi-final and their second at home. In 1991, they defeated Ghana 1-0 en route to winning the tournament. If Egypt reach the final, they will become the eighth host nation to do so and the first since Zambia in 2017.

·      The last three host nations to reach the semi-finals – Zambia (2017), Senegal (2015), and Congo (2007) – all progressed to the final. Benin in 2005 were the last hosts to lose at this stage.

·      Since 1991, host nations have reached the semi-finals 11 times, and in 10 previous instances, the hosts progressed to the final six times and were eliminated four times.

·      Hosts to reach the final include Egypt (1991), Morocco (1997), Ghana (1999), Congo (2007), Senegal (2015), and Zambia (2017). Hosts who lost in the semi-finals include Nigeria (1995), Ethiopia (2001), Burkina Faso (2003), and Benin (2005).

·      Among the semi-finalists, Egypt have conceded the most goals (six). They have scored five, more than only Nigeria (three).

·      Four of Egypt’s goals came in the first half, with their only second-half goal scored by Mohamed El Hadad in the 62nd minute of their opener against South Africa.

·      Conversely, five of the six goals Egypt have conceded came in the second half. The only first-half goal conceded was Ghana’s opener in first-half stoppage time in the quarterfinals.

·      Egypt have twice surrendered leads in the current tournament. They led Sierra Leone 1-0 before losing 4-1, and against Ghana they led 2-0 before being pegged back to 2-2. They eventually triumphed on penalties.

·      Egypt have a shot conversion rate of 10%, higher only than Nigeria’s 6.98% among the semi-finalists.

·      However, they lead in tackle success rate at 76.7% and have won 247 duels – the most of any semi-finalist.

·      Goalkeeper Abdel Monem Tamer has kept three clean sheets, tied for the most in the tournament, though he has played one game more than his counterparts.

·      In direct knockout games since 1991, Egypt have played seven, winning five and losing two, both on penalties.

·      Their victories include 1-0 wins over Ghana (1991) and Mali (2003), a penalty shootout win over Benin (2005), a 2-0 win over Nigeria (2013), and the recent penalty shootout victory against Ghana in 2025.

·      Their losses came in the 2001 and 2011 semi-finals, both via shootouts – against Ghana (1-1, lost 6-5) and Cameroon (0-0, lost 4-2). Egypt have not lost a direct knockout match in open play at the finals since 1991.

·      Egypt have participated in five penalty shootouts since 1991, with three wins and two losses. Three of those shootouts have been against Ghana.

·      They lost the 2001 semi-final (1-1, lost 6-5), won the 2005 semi-final (1-1, won 3-1), lost to Cameroon in 2011 (0-0, lost 4-2), and won the 2013 final (1-1, won 5-4). At the current tournament, they again defeated Ghana on penalties (2-2, won 5-4).