Morocco made history at the U-17 World Cup on Sunday, recording the largest victory in the tournament’s history with an emphatic 16-0 win over New Caledonia in Doha. The dominant result keeps the Atlas Lion Cubs’ hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive.
Under the guidance of coach Nabil Baha, Morocco delivered a remarkable response following consecutive 2-0 group-stage defeats to Japan and Portugal. The match served as a statement of intent, reflecting the strength and depth of the nation’s youth football programme.
Bilal Soukrat opened the scoring in the third minute, before Walid Ibn Salah added two quick goals in the 11th and 18th minutes. Abdelali Eddaoudi scored twice before halftime, while Ilyas Hidaoui and Zyad Baha also found the net to give Morocco a commanding 7-0 lead at the break.
The second half brought no respite for New Caledonia. Zakari El Khalfioui scored in the 49th minute, followed by further goals from Zyad Baha (50’), Nassim Haddani (56’, 59’), Abdellah Ouazane (73’, 90+3’), and Ilyas El Aoud (80’). An own goal from Andrew Steevy completed the record-breaking victory.
Ten Moroccan players contributed to the scoring, highlighting the team’s collective strength. The win boosted Morocco’s goal difference from -8 to +8, placing them in a favourable position to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Final confirmation of their progression will come after all group matches conclude on Tuesday.
New Caledonia, who had previously drawn 0-0 with Japan but suffered heavy defeats to England (10-0) and Brazil (9-0), finished bottom of Group B and were eliminated. Their 16-0 loss to Morocco now stands as the largest defeat in U-17 World Cup history, surpassing Spain’s 13-0 win over New Zealand in 1997.
The match was further defined by two red cards for New Caledonia’s Typhan Dreuko and Jean Canehmez in the first half, after Morocco had already taken a 3-0 lead. Ajax forward Abdellah Ouazane, who was introduced in the 63rd minute, made an immediate impact by scoring twice and assisting once within 27 minutes of play.
