Morocco – Somalia’s U-17 national team suffered a 3-0 defeat to Tunisia in their Group C opener at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, currently underway in Morocco.

The match took place at El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Tuesday, where Tunisia dominated from start to finish, denying Somalia any significant opportunities throughout the match.

Fedi Tayechi netted twice, and Anisse Saidi added another to lead Tunisia to the top of Group C based on goal difference, ahead of Senegal who also won their opening match against Gambia.

Tunisia opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Tayechi converted a rebound after a shot from Saidi. Saidi then made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute with a well-finished effort, assisted by Tayechi.

In the second half, Tunisia continued their dominance as Tayechi scored again in the 58th minute following a pass from Wassim Tissa, a goal that was confirmed after a VAR review. Saidi had another goal ruled out by VAR in the 71st minute due to an offside position.

Despite the loss, Somalia displayed resilience and effort, with Anas Isse producing a threatening long-range shot and the team mounting late counterattacks. However, Tunisia’s defense remained solid and thwarted any chances.

With this result, Tunisia tops Group C, while Somalia must win their next match to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage alive.

The TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations is a youth tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), featuring 16 African nations with players under 17. This year’s edition is being hosted in Morocco from March 30 to April 19, 2025.