'We came for the U20 AFCON Cup' – Essadak declares after Egypt win

Morocco U-20 captain Houssam Essadak says his team is determined to finish what they started after booking a place in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 with a hard-fought 1-0 win over hosts Egypt.

The influential midfielder, who was named Man of the Match, played a key role in a composed performance by the Atlas Cubs, helping them hold off a spirited Egyptian side in front of a partisan Cairo crowd on Thursday night.

“We came to this tournament with two clear goals,” Essadak said the press conference after the match.

“One was to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, and we achieved that. But our ultimate goal is to win this trophy. That’s what the fans want, what our president asked of us, and what we promised ourselves.”

Essadak praised the team’s progress through the competition, where Morocco remain unbeaten and have conceded only once in five matches.

“This cup feels very close,” he added. “The way we’ve grown from one game to the next, the way we’ve stuck together and shown belief—it gives us real confidence going into the final.”

The final against South Africa will take place on Sunday, 18 May at Cairo International Stadium, with both sides chasing their first U-20 continental title since the competition's inception.

“We’re not done yet,” Essadak concluded. “We’ve taken big steps, but the biggest one is still ahead.”

Morocco’s last appearance in the final came in 2005. With Essadak leading from the front, the North Africans now stand one match away from making history.