The Atlas Cubs face New Caledonia in a quest for the only chance to qualify for the knockout stage of the Qatar World Cup.
The Moroccan national under-17 team will play its last group stage match in the World Cup on Sunday against New Caledonia at Aspire’s Field 1 in Doha, as part of the third round of Group B matches.
After two consecutive losses against Japan (0-2) and Portugal (0-6), the Atlas Cubs have no option but to win by a large margin. The Moroccan team must score five goals while keeping a clean sheet to keep hopes of qualification alive, while also needing to monitor the outcomes of the other groups to determine their fate among the best third-placed teams.
Despite the daunting task, hope remains for the teammates of captain Abdellah Wazan, who are eager to deliver a respectable performance that can restore trust in the Moroccan fans, especially against an opponent that surprised everyone with a goalless draw against Japan in the previous round.
National coach Nabil Bahe knows that the match leaves no room for error and urges his players to overcome the disappointment of the heavy defeat against Portugal, focusing instead on achieving victory to salvage their reputation in a must-win encounter.
On the other hand, the already qualified Portuguese team will play a formal match against Japan on the same day. It is worth noting that the tournament features 48 teams distributed across 12 groups, with the top two teams in each group qualifying, along with the best eight third-placed teams.
