On the evening of Tuesday, 10 November 2026, the Tunisian city of Sousse witnessed a fierce Maghreb derby in the first round of the North Africa U17 Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The match ended with Algeria defeating Morocco 1-0, a somewhat surprising result given the recent history between the two sides.
The match was played at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse and began at a cautious pace from both teams, as each sought to impose control without taking early risks. Algeria managed to open the scoring in the 41st minute through player Ziani, and the first half ended with Algeria leading 1-0. The Algerian Cubs maintained their defensive organisation in the second half and thwarted Morocco’s attempts to equalise, securing three valuable points at the start of their campaign.
This loss comes after Morocco had achieved a clear victory over Algeria in their previous meeting in March 2026 in the same tournament held in Libya, when they won 3-0. The Atlas Cubs had been hoping for a strong start in this shortened edition (following Libya’s withdrawal), especially with only four teams participating: Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia, where the top two teams qualify for the continental finals.
The match demonstrated the difficulty of the Maghreb derby at this age level, as tactics and caution dominated play more than attacking excitement. Morocco now faces a greater challenge in the upcoming matches against Egypt and then Tunisia, needing positive results quickly to revive their qualification chances. Algeria, meanwhile, enter their next matches with high morale after this first victory.
The tournament remains open, and Morocco are still capable of compensating thanks to the technical quality they have shown in previous matches. Maghreb football fans await the developments of these qualifiers, which are an important gateway to the Africa U17 Cup of Nations.
