Rabat – Lisandru Olmeta's bold words came back to bite him, and Yassine Gessime made sure of it. Before the U-20 World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco, the young French goalkeeper confidently told reporters he had already asked his parents to “book tickets for the final.”
But after 90 minutes, extra time, and a penalty shootout, it was Morocco celebrating, and Gessime had the perfect response.
The semi-final in Valparaíso was charged with the intensity of a long-standing rivalry between Morocco and France. Olmeta, the son of former Monaco goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta, had been one of France’s standout performers in the tournament and entered the match with great confidence.
However, the Atlas Cubs, with the same discipline they had shown against Spain, Brazil, and the United States earlier in the competition, refused to back down.
Poetic Payback for Morocco's U-20 Team
After a first-half penalty that ricocheted off Olmeta and into his own net gave Morocco the lead, France fought back through Lucas Michal’s equalizer. The match ended 1–1 after extra time, setting up a penalty shootout, which Morocco won 5–4 to reach their first-ever U-20 World Cup final.
After the match, as Moroccan players celebrated, cameras caught winger Yassine Gessime smiling as he spoke to reporters: “We came into this match with humility. We didn’t claim we were going to do this or that. But Al Hamdullah, my mom came over — and she’s not leaving before Sunday.”
Olmeta’s earlier comment was one of misplaced confidence, while Gessime’s response embodied Morocco’s understated and focused approach throughout the tournament.
The Atlas Cubs have been the surprise of the competition, with their tactical maturity, especially in knockout matches against big teams like the USA and France.
The win propelled Morocco into uncharted territory: their first-ever U-20 World Cup final, where they will face Argentina.