Morocco clinched their maiden U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil after defeating Mali 4-2 on penalties following a tense 0-0 draw in Saturday’s final at the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia.

The young Atlas Lions held their nerve in the dramatic shootout, which was stylishly finished off by a ‘Panenka’ penalty from Ilies Belmokhtar that sent the home supporters into raptures as Morocco secured their first-ever continental crown at this level.

Goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouche emerged as the hero for the hosts, making two outstanding saves during the penalty shootout to help his side overcome the two-time champions.

In an evenly-matched opening quarter, Mali appeared to have taken the lead through Soumaila Fane, who steered home a close-range effort from a right-flank cross. However, VAR correctly ruled out the goal as the Malian attacker had used his hand to redirect the ball.

The closest Morocco came to breaking the deadlock in the first half was through Ziyad Baha shortly before the interval. The forward met a low cross from the right and fired an effort toward the bottom corner, but Mali goalkeeper Lamine Sinaba produced a fine save.

The West Africans were the stronger side early in the second half, with Seydou Dembele notably drawing a great save from Bellaarouche in the 49th minute. The Moroccan goalkeeper remained busy throughout the remainder of the match, regularly coming to his defence’s aid against Mali’s attacking pressure.

With neither side able to find a breakthrough in regulation time, the match proceeded to penalties where Morocco’s players showed remarkable composure. Ziyad Baha, Zakari El Khalfioui, Amine Ouahabi, and Belmokhtar all converted their spot-kicks with confidence.

Coach Nabil Baha, who guided the young Lions with discipline and defensive rigour throughout the tournament, hailed his players’ composure after the match. Morocco’s defensive solidity was evident as they conceded just one goal in the entire competition.

For Mali, it was heartbreak in their fifth final appearance at this level despite dominating large portions of the match. The team led by Adama Diallo had hoped to secure a third U-17 crown after lifting the trophy in 2015 and 2017.

The victory ends Morocco’s long wait for continental glory, coming just two years after they finished as runners-up to Senegal in the previous edition.

Both finalists, along with Burkina Faso, South Africa, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tunisia, Egypt and Uganda, have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in November.