Morocco’s Under-17 women’s team were knocked out of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defending champions North Korea recorded a 6-0 win in their last-16 tie.
The match was played on Wednesday at pitch 2 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Sale, where North Korea’s attacking quality proved too much for the hosts.
North Korea took control before half-time, scoring four goals to establish a commanding lead. Morocco struggled to contain their opponents and went into the interval facing a substantial deficit.
The Asian side continued to apply pressure after the break and added two more goals to complete a comprehensive victory. The result secured North Korea’s place in the quarter-finals and ended Morocco’s run on home soil.
North Korea’s performance maintained their hopes of successfully defending the title. They had already shown their strength by finishing top of Group B with nine points, and their form continued in the knockout stage.
Their four-goal first-half display put the outcome beyond Morocco’s reach, while the further goals after the interval confirmed the defending champions’ progress.
North Korea will now continue their bid to win another FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup crown. Their victory over the host nation underlined their status as one of the leading teams in the competition.
Morocco had reached the knockout stage after finishing their Group A campaign as one of the best third-placed teams. The Atlas Lionesses’ group run included victories over New Zealand and Argentina, results which earned them the opportunity to continue in the tournament.
Qualification for the last 16 allowed Morocco’s young players to extend their campaign in front of home supporters, but they faced a severe challenge against a North Korean side that had taken maximum points from its group.
The hosts were unable to recover from the four-goal first-half deficit. North Korea’s continued pressure after the interval produced two further goals and brought Morocco’s participation in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to an end.
