2026 U-17 A FCON: Cameroon Falls Short

Cameroon’s stay in Morocco within the framework of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations is officially over. The Cadet Lions were booted out of the competition by host Morocco in the quarterfinals. The game, which ended 1-0 for the host, was played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex on May 24, 2026. The lone goal of the encounter was scored by the Moroccan forward Mohamed Habib Zinbi at the 17th minute of play. Cameroon produced a solid show, evidently physically and tactically superior to the host. But the scoreboard presented a negative result at the end due to poor finishing. From start to finish, the Cadet Lions created the necessary chances, repeatedly destabilising their opponents, but the final ball and the finishing touch often proved wrong. Nonetheless, they go home partly satisfied. Even though their hopes of a third U-17 AFCON title have been dashed, they at least secured one important stake of this AFCON: qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup. Their group campaign was also encouraging. Two wins against Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo helped erase several years of matchwinning droughts in the competition. Compar...