South Africa claimed their first-ever TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (U-20 AFCON) title with a gritty 1-0 win over Morocco in Sunday night’s final at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
The historic victory was sealed by a sensational 70th-minute strike from Gomolemo Kekana, whose curling effort from outside the box flew into the top corner—a goal awarded after VAR review.
The match, defined by its tactical discipline and defensive solidity, saw both unbeaten teams locked in a cagey battle, with South Africa rewriting history by defeating a North African opponent at the tournament for the very first time.
Despite Morocco enjoying the better of the first-half chances—Jones El Abdellaoui and Ilias Boumassaoudi both threatening—South African goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe stood firm, continuing his standout performances throughout the tournament.
South Africa’s resilience shone after the break. Though Morocco pressed for an equaliser, they struggled to break through the solid defensive pairing of Tylon Smith and Sfiso Timba. Lowe finished the competition with 30 saves, the most by any goalkeeper, anchoring a team built on discipline, heart, and determination.
Kekana’s goal crowned a superb tournament for the Amajita, who had never previously won the U-20 AFCON title and last reached the final in 1997—losing then to the same Moroccan side.
With this win, South Africa become the 12th nation to lift the U-20 AFCON trophy, ending their jinx against North African teams and joining recent debut champions like Senegal in 2023.
The feeling of success? captured. 📸🇿🇦#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 pic.twitter.com/5DQyxV2tYl
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) May 18, 2025
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