Saliou Dia, head coach of Senegal’s U17 squad, commended Morocco’s U17 national football team’s great performance in the AFCON final, which took place on Friday night in Algeria.

“We faced up against a really formidable squad. The encounter was quite difficult since we let up the opening goal, but I believe we could have been more careful,” Saliou added.

Senegal established their domination in the second half by scoring two goals in the 80th and 83rd minutes, whilst Morocco seized the lead in the first half of the game by scoring the opening goal in the 14th minute.

The Senegalese coach praised his team’s “good fight” and tenacity, saying, “We managed to regroup and dominated possession of the ball, especially in the second half.”

Dia acknowledged his deep “delight” with the triumph, which was the first tournament championship for Senegal.

The coach said that the outstanding performance of his club was the result of “work and investment that started many years ago and now the fruits are here.”

Despite Senegal’s victory, Dia claimed that yesterday’s game was instructive for his team since they still have a lot to learn and improve upon in order to be ready for the World Cup.

Said Chiba, head coach of the Atlas Lions, congratulated the Moroccan team for their outstanding performance throughout the continental competition.

“The result is harsh on the players at this age but we will take it in. This is football and I told them that I am proud of their performance,” he added.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Chiba the competition’s Best Coach after the U17 final, praising him as a “leader” and “mastermind.”

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