Morocco's U-17s made World Cup history in Qatar with a 16-0 win over New Caledonia, the biggest margin ever recorded at this level and enough to send them into the knockout stages.
Al-Ahly also enjoyed a landmark night when they beat Cairo rivals Zamalek 2-0 in Abu Dhabi to claim yet another Egyptian Super Cup. And in Abu Dhabi, Iraq and the UAE drew 1-1 in their World Cup qualifier, setting up a decisive second leg in Basra.
The Atlas Cubs become history makers
Morocco’s U-17 players smashed the FIFA record of the biggest victory margin at a U-17 World Cup game, beating New Caledonia with an astonishing 16-0 win.
The feat occurred during a group stage game on Sunday between the two countries during the FIFA U-17 World Cup, currently taking place in Qatar.
The win proved crucial for Morocco as they needed a win to advance to the round of 32, after a poor start to the tournament, which saw them lose to Japan and Portugal, and failing to score a single goal.
The Atlas Cubs were up 3-0 within 20 minutes in a bizarre first half, which saw the sending off of two New Caledonia players. The score increased quickly to 6-0 by halftime, with Morocco showing no signs of stopping.
The match saw nine Moroccan players on the scoresheet. They were Bilal Soukrat, Oualid Ibn Salah (2), Abdelali Eddaoudi (2), Ilyas Hidaoui, Ziyad Baha (2), Zakari El Khalfioui, Nahel Haddani (2), Abdellah Ouazane (2), and Ismail El Aoud (2). An own goal was scored by Steevy Andrew.
Striker Ziyad Baha said after the match: "We did it! We didn’t embarrass the opposition. We approached this match like the others since we knew that we had to win to have a chance at qualifying. We’re really proud."
Head coach Nabil Baha reflected on the squad’s previous losses, telling FIFA that they were "hurt psychologically" following the defeats, but said they spurred them on for Sunday's historic win.
"You have to give the players credit. It’s important to make football history, whether with titles or with goals."
The U-17 World Cup now sees Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament. On Friday, the Atlas Cubs will face the United States, while Egypt will play against Switzerland. On Saturday, Tunisia will be up against Austria.
Hosts Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been eliminated from the competition.
Al-Ahly once again reign supreme in Egypt
Al-Ahly defeated Zamalek in Sunday night’s Egyptian Super Cup final, solidifying their dominance in Egyptian football.
The Cairo-based club beat their long-standing rivals Zamalek 2-0 at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi with goals coming from Achraf Bencharki and Marwan Attia.
The first half was dominated by Al-Ahly, creating chances and aiming for the back of the net. The first chance came within the first ten minutes after a shot on target from Mahmoud Trezeguet, which was saved by Mohamed Awad. Yassin Marei and Nejc Gradisar’s attempts were also saved by the Zamalek goalkeeper.
The breakthrough eventually came from Moroccan international Bencharki, who scored with a few minutes left to spare in the first half, following an assist from Ahmed Zizo. The seasoned Zizo made a controversial move to Al-Ahly from Zamalek earlier this summer.
Zamalek made several changes at half-time with the hopes of changing the game, but failed to reach the back of the net several times. A penalty appeal in the 72nd minute gave hopes of an equaliser, which was dismissed.
Al-Ahly sealed their win with a 73rd-minute strike from Attia, but the game could have finished with another goal in the Cairo team’s favour had Seifeddine Jaziri’s goal not been ruled offside.
Al-Ahly’s win on Sunday marked the fifth consecutive time the defending Egyptian Premier League champions have won the Super Cup. It was also their 16th trophy in the competition overall.
Iraq v UAE draw to see vital decider in Basra
All is to play for in the next leg of the World Cup qualifier between the UAE and Iraq, as both sides compete for one of the last remaining places in the competition.
The 36,000 Abu Dhabi crowd got behind the UAE team on Thursday from the start, but were stunned by a tenth-minute opener from Luton Town striker Ali Al-Hamadi, putting Iraq 1-0 in the lead.
Seven minutes later and Brazil-born Luanzinho made it 1-1, while the UAE nearly took the lead in the final minutes when a Caio Lucas goal was disallowed.
Goalkeeper Khalid Eissa was commended for keeping the UAE's hopes of qualifying for their second-ever World Cup alive after holding off repeated threats from the Iraqi forwards.
The second leg will be played in Basra on Tuesday and will decide which team makes it through to FIFA’s intercontinental playoff, where six teams will compete for the two slots of the 2026 World Cup.
Iraq coach Graham Arnold has called on the home crowd to play the role of the “12th man" in the vital Tuesday night qualifier, and the UAE are anticipating a hostile reception in Basra.
“We have to be able to play in front of a lot of supporters with pressure, with everything," said UAE manager Cosmin Olaroiu. "This will make us, game by game, stronger and stronger."