The head coach of Morocco's U-20 national football team, Mohamed Ouahbi, stated that his team «can achieve great things» and that «the main objective is to reach the final» of the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (CAN U20), currently being held in Egypt. Speaking at the post-match press conference following Morocco's 1–0 extra-time victory over Sierra Leone in Monday's quarter-final in Cairo, Coach Ouahbi emphasized that his team intends to maintain its current momentum throughout the rest of the tournament. Qualification for both the semi-finals and the upcoming U-20 World Cup, secured thanks to the win over Sierra Leone, is «well deserved», he said, expressing satisfaction with his players' performance. He also praised the Sierra Leonean team, describing them as a strong and challenging opponent. Looking ahead to the semi-final clash against host nation Egypt, Ouahbi affirmed that his players will give their all against a well-organized team with quality players, aiming to go all the way. For his part, Ilias Boumessaoudi—named Man of the Match—expressed how «happy» he is to experience such moments with the U-20 national team, now qualified for both the CAN semi-finals and the World Cup. He added that the players are determined to win against Egypt and continue their journey in this continental competition. Meanwhile, Sierra Leone head coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara said his strategy was to hold Morocco to a draw through regulation and extra time, hoping to decide the match on penalties. Despite the defeat, he expressed pride in his players' performance and stressed the importance of learning from Sierra Leone's first-ever participation in the CAN U20 by building on both their strengths and weaknesses. The Morocco-Egypt semi-final will be played on Thursday at 7:00 PM in Cairo. The other semi-final, between South Africa and Nigeria, will take place earlier the same day at 4:00 PM in Ismailia.
