Morocco's futsal team opened their defence of the African Futsal Cup of Nations title with a comfortable 4-0 win over Algeria in their Group 1 opener on Monday, 12 October. Youssef Jawad scored a hat-trick and Younes Mekssari added a fourth in the match at the Prince Moulay Abdallah sports hall in Rabat, played in front of a sell-out crowd.
Youssef Jawad said: "برز يوسف جواد باعتباره أحد أبرز نجوم المباراة، بعد نجاحه في هز شباك المنتخب الجزائري ثلاث مرات". The national team relies on a group of players with experience in continental and international competitions, according to their head coach Hassan Dakkak.
The victory puts Morocco top of Group 1, which also includes Zambia and Libya, after Zambia won their opening match 3-1 against Libya. Morocco face Zambia on Wednesday, 14 October in a key match to solidify their semi-final chances, before concluding the group stage against Libya on Friday, 16 October. The tournament, which runs until 21 October and features eight teams, sees the top two from each group advance.
This strong start comes as the senior Morocco national football team remains unbeaten, having drawn 1-1 with Mali on 4 October, with Abdel Samad Ezzalzouli scoring from the penalty spot. The upcoming schedule for the national team, including a fixture against Niger on 11 November, can be found on our fixtures page.
Morocco are targeting a fourth consecutive African title after wins in 2016, 2020, and 2024, while Algeria are making their debut in the competition.
The original report is at CAF Online
