Morocco strike late to overcome 10-man Black Starlets

Morocco’s U17 side snatched a dramatic late victory over the Black Starlets, scoring with the last kick of the game to secure a 2-1 win in the second of two international friendly matches in Rabat.

The Black Starlets, who played with 10 men for the greater part of the second half, were ultimately undone by a late counter-attack from the hosts.

Morocco took the lead in the 11th minute after capitalising on a poor clearance from the Black Starlets goalkeeper.

Ghana responded and created several opportunities to restore parity, with Issah Alidu coming close on three occasions after finding himself one-on-one with the Moroccan goalkeeper before the break.

Ten minutes into the second half, the Starlets were reduced to 10 men when captain Abdul Rafiu Issah was shown a red card for a strong tackle on a Moroccan attacker.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Black Starlets continued to push forward in search of an equaliser.

Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Yaw Acheampong produced a free-kick to bring Ghana level.

Gavi Robinho came close to completing the comeback when his effort was blocked by a Moroccan defender and diverted for a corner.

However, Morocco quickly turned defence into attack from the resulting corner, launching a counter-attack that ended with the hosts scoring with the final kick of the match.

The result leaves the two-match series honours even, with Ghana having won the first encounter 2-0 before Morocco claimed the second game.

The matches conclude the Black Starlets’ international preparations ahead of the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship, which also serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

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