Morocco will begin their Under-17 World Cup campaign in Group H with an opportunity to make a deep run, but the difficulty of their opening-round schedule will increase with each match.
The Atlas Cubs start against Fiji on 20 November, in a fixture widely viewed as the most favourable of their three group games. Despite being considered the least formidable opponent in the section, Fiji could still present a serious early test for Morocco and create a potential banana skin at the beginning of the tournament.
Morocco’s second match will come against China on 23 November. That contest is expected to provide a more demanding examination than the opening meeting with Fiji, before the group-stage campaign concludes with the biggest test of all.
Spain will be Morocco’s final opponent on 26 November in what is expected to be the standout fixture in Group H. The meeting could prove decisive in determining which side finishes top of the section.
Morocco’s route through the group therefore offers a clear progression in terms of the challenge: Fiji first, China next and Spain last. The sequence gives the team an opportunity to build momentum, while leaving their most significant contest until the closing match.
The Atlas Cubs are preparing with ambitions of producing a major performance at the Under-17 World Cup. Their prospects of advancing as far as possible will depend on how effectively they negotiate the three group fixtures, particularly the final match against Spain.
Should Morocco progress beyond the opening round, their technical quality and tactical discipline will be central to their hopes of going deep into the competition. Those qualities could allow the side to deal with the increasing demands of the tournament and compete beyond the group stage.
Morocco’s Under-17 World Cup schedule is:
- 20 November, 14:00: Fiji v Morocco - 23 November, 15:00: Morocco v China - 26 November, 15:00: Morocco v Spain