The Moroccan national team revitalized its hopes of advancing to the next round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after a resounding victory over New Caledonia, winning 16-0 in a match held on Sunday at Stadium No. 1 in Aspire Zone, Doha, as part of the third round of Group B matches.
The goals for Morocco were scored by Bilal Socrates (3′), Walid Bensalih (11′, 18′), Abdelali Daoudi (41′, 42′), Elias Haidawi (44′), Ziyad Baha (45+2, 50′), Zakaria Al-Khalfaoui (48′), Nahil Hadani (56′, 60′), and Abdullah Wazan (73′, 90+2), while a New Caledonia player scored an own goal (76′) and Ismail Al-Awd (80′, 90′) added two more goals.
Qualification Prospects
Following the third and final round of the group stage, Morocco’s U-17 team finished third in Group B with 3 points and a goal difference of +8 (16 goals scored and 8 conceded) after the significant win against New Caledonia.
This result means that Morocco could not secure a top two spot, achieved by Japan with 7 points and Portugal with 6 points. They now rely on their ranking among the third-place teams from other groups.
(Japan and Portugal qualified directly for the Round of 32, while New Caledonia has been eliminated.)
Qualification Mechanism as One of the Best 8 Third-Place Teams
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Criteria: The 12 teams that finished third in their groups are ranked based on points (first priority), followed by goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head results (if needed), and finally fair play (number of cards).
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Current Status: Most third-place teams have 3 points (like Morocco), but their +8 goal difference is very strong compared to others (in some groups, the third-place team has a goal difference of only +2 or +3 based on available results). This places Morocco in a highly competitive position, especially with the 16 goals scored enhancing their ranking.
Expected Qualification Chances
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Very High (over 90%): The overwhelming 16-0 win is not only the largest victory in U-17 World Cup history, but it dramatically improved the goal difference, making it difficult for most competitors to surpass Morocco. For instance, if there are 4-5 third-place teams with 3 points but less than +8 goal difference, Morocco will secure a top position.
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Dependence on Other Results: Qualification will be determined after all matches in other groups conclude (official announcements are expected within hours or a few days). Positive results in groups like A (where Qatar is potentially reliant on a win) may help, but even if not, Morocco’s goal difference protects it.
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Possible Scenarios:
- Direct qualification: If fewer than 8 third-place teams have 4 points or more, or if the GD +8 exceeds that of fewer than 8 teams.
- The only risk: If 8 third-place teams achieve higher points (like 4 or 6) or a better GD, but this is unlikely based on current trends.
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