Morocco’s U20 national team reached the semifinals of the 2026 Mediterranean Games after beating North Macedonia 5-1 on Wednesday, August 26, in the final round of the group stage.
Ludovic Batelli’s side took control from the start, with Hamza Raji opening the scoring in the first minute, followed by Rayan Talbi Zinebi who doubled Morocco’s lead in the 36th minute. After the break, Mohamed Mounssef (58th), Karim Essaadi (78th), and Abdelghafour Gourari (84th) added three more goals to seal the win.
The result saw Morocco finish second in Group A with four points, behind Tunisia on seven. Level on points with Türkiye, the Atlas Lions finished ahead of the Turks thanks to a superior goal difference of +3, securing their place in the semifinals.
Morocco had opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Türkiye, despite taking a two-goal lead, before losing 1-0 to Tunisia. With their semifinal place at stake in the final group game, the Atlas Lions responded with their first win of the tournament at a crucial moment.
In the semifinal, scheduled for Friday, August 28, at Taranto’s Iacovone Stadium, Morocco will face the winner of Group B, which includes Algeria, Italy, Albania, and Kosovo.
The 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games is being held from August 21 to September 3 in Taranto and several other cities in southern Italy.
