Morocco made history at the U-17 World Cup on Sunday, registering the largest victory in the tournament’s history with a staggering 16-0 win over New Caledonia in Doha.

The emphatic triumph keeps the Atlas Lion Cubs’ hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive.

Coached by Nabil Baha, Morocco bounced back from two heavy group-stage defeats to Japan (2-0) and Portugal (2-0) with a statement performance that highlighted the depth and quality of their youth programme.

Bilal Soukrat opened the scoring in the third minute, and Walid Ibn Salah followed with two quick goals in the 11th and 18th minutes.

Abdelali Eddaoudi added a brace late in the first half, while Ilyas Hidaoui and Zyad Baha also found the net, giving Morocco a commanding 7-0 lead at halftime.

The onslaught continued after the break with Zakari El Khalfioui scoring in the 49th minute, followed by Zyad Baha again (50’), Nassim Haddani (56’, 59’), Abdellah Ouazane (73’, 90+3’), and Ilyas El Aoud (80’). An own goal from Andrew Steevy completed the historic rout.

Ten Moroccan players contributed to the scoring, with Bilal Soukrat, Walid Ibn Salah, Abdelali Eddaoudi, Ilyas Hidaoui, Zyad Baha, Zakari El Khalfioui, Nassim Haddani, Abdellah Ouazane, and Ismail El Aoud all on the scoresheet.

The victory catapults Morocco’s goal difference from -8 to +8, boosting their chances of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.

Final confirmation of qualification will be determined after all group matches conclude on Tuesday.

New Caledonia, who had previously drawn 0-0 with Japan but suffered defeats to England (10-0) and Brazil (9-0) in the 2023 U-17 World Cup, finished bottom of Group B and were eliminated.

Their defeat to Morocco now stands as the biggest in U-17 World Cup history, surpassing Spain’s 13-0 win over New Zealand in 1997.

The match was marked by unusual circumstances, with two New Caledonia players, Typhan Dreuko and Jean Canehmez, sent off in the first half. Morocco had already taken a 3-0 lead before the red cards, allowing the Atlas Lions to dominate the remainder of the match.

Ajax forward Abdellah Ouazane, who had a failed transfer to Real Madrid last summer, was introduced in the 63rd minute and made an instant impact, scoring twice and assisting another goal in just 27 minutes of play. (The PUNCH)