Morocco and Tunisia played to a 1-1 draw in a competitive North African derby at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 on Wednesday evening.
The match took place at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, where Morocco had strong support from their fans. The defending champions controlled the game for much of the time but struggled against a well-organised Tunisian team.
Tunisia scored first in the 27th minute through Yahya Jlidi, whose calm finish shocked the home crowd and gave Tunisia a valuable lead at halftime.
After the break, Morocco increased their urgency, pushing for an equaliser while Tunisia stayed solid defensively and posed a threat on counterattacks.
Morocco finally equalised in the 76th minute when Ilian Hadidi scored, sparking celebrations in the stadium. Despite Morocco’s late pressure, Tunisia held on for a crucial point in a closely fought Group A match.
In another match, Egypt and Ethiopia played to a 0-0 draw. This result leaves Group A open, as both teams had their chances but were unable to score. Egypt had more possession, while Ethiopia looked to attack quickly with player Dawit Kassaw Yirdaw.
Egypt’s Mohamed Attia and Ahmed Safwat showed some creativity, but Ethiopia’s strong defence kept them from finding the net.
Uganda started their campaign strongly in Group B with a 3-0 win over DR Congo. This victory puts Uganda on level points with Côte d’Ivoire, which won against Cameroon earlier in the day.
Uganda dominated the match against DR Congo, scoring first in the 37th minute through Owen Mukisa and adding a second goal by Nicholas Kawooya just before halftime.
In the second half, despite DR Congo’s efforts, Uganda remained strong in defence and secured the win with a third goal from Abdulshakur Babi in the 82nd minute. This victory gives Uganda a strong start in their bid for the knockout stages and qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Côte d’Ivoire also started well in Group B, beating Cameroon 2-0. Ange Nomane scored the first goal in the 52nd minute, and Hubert Yao added a second goal later. This win positions Côte d’Ivoire favourably in the competitive group with Uganda and DR Congo.
