Morocco's teenage stars will face six-time champions Argentina on Sunday in the final of the under-20 World Cup – with Morocco's team playing against a backdrop of Generation Z-led protests over issues including government spending on sporting events at the expense of public services.
As Mohamed Ouahbi's charges prepare for the showdown in the Chilean capital Santiago, the GenZ 212 youth collective continues to stage protests across Morocco, pushing for reforms on education, healthcare and to tackle corruption and a cost of living crisis.
Demonstrators have hit out at the estimated €2 billion cost of revamping stadiums for December's Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
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Morocco's path to the final at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Pradano was paved by a penalty shoot-out victory over France. They are only the sixth African side to reach the final since the inaugural tournament in 1977.
The semi-final at the Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander in Valparaíso had finished 1-1 after extra-time on Wednesday.
"We knew it was going to be a difficult match," said Ouahbi. "There were strong moments and weak moments. We managed it well. In the first-half, I thought we were a little too crazy.
"We pressed well, but we had to calm down. We suffered in the second half because we had given so much in the first."
Argentina saw off Colombia 1-0 on Wednesday night to send its squad to an under-20 World Cup final for the eighth time.
Matteo Silvetti, 19 – an Inter Miami teammate of Lionel Messi, who won the under-20 title with Argentina in 2005 – scored the only goal of the match in the 72nd minute.
"The team went for it and we deserved the victory," said Silvetti, who came on as a substitute for Ian Subiabre in the second half of the game. There are no easy opponents but we knew how to play well."
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Messi message
On Thursday, Messi, who skippered Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to salute the youth team on their achievement, posting: "Congratulations to everyone. Grande Matteo Silvetti."
On Sunday, Diego Placente’s men will attempt to stop Morocco from joining Ghana's 2009 vintage as the only African teams to brandish the cup.
“It was a very difficult game against Colombia," said Placente, who won four trophies including the 2009 Ligue 1 crown during his two years at French outfit Bordeaux.
"We were uneven in terms of individual performances and the first half was really tough for us," added the 48-year-old. "Now we will try to isolate ourselves from everything that is being said so that the pressure of the game does not increase. We must only think about playing.”
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Showcase for talent
The brainchild of Fifa vice-president Harry Cavan as a showcase for future stars, the tournament began as the Fifa World Youth Championship, with 16 teams in four groups.
In the inaugural competition in Tunisia, after three round robin games, the pool winners advanced to the semi-finals. The Soviet Union emerged with the first title.
Two years later in Japan, still with 16 teams, the top two from each group advanced to the last eight knockout stages. Argentina came away as champions.
In 1997 in Malaysia, the tournament was expanded to 24 teams. The top two from each of the six groups were joined by the four best third-placed teams in the last-16 knockout stages. Argentina took home a third title.
At the 2005 tournament in the Netherlands, a 17-year-old Messi won the golden boot as the most prolific striker and came in ahead of Nigeria's John Obi Mikel and Taye Taiwo as the player of the competition, after Argentina beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Utrecht to claim the crown for the fifth time.
Two years later in Canada, despite a new incarnation as the Fifa under-20 World Cup, it was the same old story as Sergio Aguero's six goals fired Argentina to a sixth success.
