South Africa secured their maiden TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title with a gritty 1-0 victory over Morocco in Sunday night’s final at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
A spectacular second-half strike from Gomolemo Kekana proved the difference, as the Southern Africans made history by defeating a North African opponent for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The decisive moment came in the 70th minute, when Kekana unleashed a thunderous right-footed shot from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner. The goal stood after a VAR review, breaking the deadlock in what had been a tightly contested and tactically disciplined encounter.
Kekana’s winner capped off an exceptional campaign for South Africa, who had not reached the U-20 AFCON final since 1997 — a match they lost to Morocco.
This time, they turned the tables, avenging that defeat and becoming the 12th nation to win the prestigious youth title.
Both teams entered the final unbeaten, each boasting some of the best defensive records in the tournament.
South Africa’s triumph not only delivered their first continental youth crown but also ended a streak of five consecutive defeats to North African teams — all by narrow one-goal margins.
Their victory follows in the footsteps of Senegal’s 2023 triumph, adding South Africa to the growing list of recent first-time winners.
