Rome: The Moroccan team is “making history in strides,” wrote the sports newspaper A Bola, emphasizing the decisive role of forward Yassir Zabiri, a player for the Portuguese club Famalico, who converted a penalty initially saved by the post and rebounded onto the back of the French goalkeeper before eventually finding the back of the net. The young striker later scored a ‘Panenka’ penalty during the critical penalty shootout, cementing his status as the hero of the match.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Sapo Desporto highlighted that Morocco’s “heroic performance” against the French team was the key to their finals qualification, noting that Zabiri played a pivotal role in the first goal and that Morocco missed only one penalty out of six in the shootout, compared to two missed penalties by the French.

“Morocco’s historic journey continues,” stated ZeroZero, also praising the exemplary team play of Mohamed Wahbi’s squad, who managed to assert their dominance from the first half and took the lead in the 32nd minute, thanks to the young talent Yassir Zabiri.

With this qualification, Morocco’s U-20 team writes a chapter in the history of national football, confirming the strength and quality of the Moroccan football system in international competitions, said the Portuguese outlet.