South Africa captured their maiden U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title with a resilient 1-0 triumph over Morocco in a tightly contested final on Sunday evening at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
A moment of brilliance from Gomolemo Kekana in the 70th minute sealed the win for the Southern Africans, who made history by not only lifting their first youth continental title but also defeating a North African side in the tournament for the first time.
Kekana’s decisive strike, a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area that curled into the top corner came following a VAR review and proved enough to separate the sides in a match marked by tactical discipline and defensive solidity.
The goal punctuated a remarkable tournament for South Africa, who had not reached the final since their runners-up finish in 1997, coincidentally losing then to the same Moroccan opposition.
This time, however, they reversed the narrative to become the 12th nation to win the U-20 AFCON crown.
This landmark victory marks South Africa’s first major youth football triumph and underscores a significant milestone in their footballing development.
It also ended a streak of five successive U-20 AFCON defeats to North African teams, each previously decided by a single goal.
Morocco, despite an impressive campaign and an unbeaten streak of 14 U-20 AFCON matches prior to the final, were left to rue missed opportunities as their quest for a second title continues.
