Morocco U17 stun Black Starlets with last-kick winner in Rabat

Morocco’s U17 national team snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ghana’s Black Starlets with the final kick of the game in the second of two international friendly matches in Rabat.

The hosts secured the win after a late counter-attack punished Ghana in stoppage time, denying the Black Starlets after they had fought back from a goal down despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.

Morocco broke the deadlock in the 11th minute after capitalizing on a poor clearance from Ghana’s goalkeeper.

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The Black Starlets responded positively and created several opportunities to draw level before the break.

Issah Alidu came particularly close on three occasions after finding himself in one-on-one situations with the Moroccan goalkeeper, but Ghana could not find the breakthrough.

Ghana’s task became more difficult 10 minutes into the second half when captain Abdul Rafiu Issah was shown a straight red card for a strong challenge on a Moroccan attacker.

Despite being reduced to 10 players, the Black Starlets continued to attack and showed impressive resilience in their search for an equalizer.

Their efforts finally paid off in the 75th minute when Yaw Acheampong produced a superb free-kick to restore parity.

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The equalizer gave Ghana renewed confidence, with the Black Starlets pushing forward in search of a winning goal.

Gavi Robinho came close to completing the comeback when his effort was blocked by a Moroccan defender and deflected behind for a corner.

However, the resulting corner presented Morocco with an opportunity to launch a quick counter-attack.

The hosts transitioned rapidly from defense to attack before finishing the move with the final kick of the match to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory.

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The defeat means the two-match friendly series ended level, with Ghana winning the opening encounter 2-0 before Morocco responded with victory in the second game.

The two matches form part of the Black Starlets’ final international preparations ahead of the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship, which also serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.