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The two North African nations confirmed their qualification after both teams advanced to the finals of the ongoing CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Egypt and Morocco have secured their places as the first two African nations to compete in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
The two North African nations confirmed their qualification after both teams advanced to the finals of the ongoing CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Defending champions Egypt clinched their spot in the finals courtesy of a 1-0 victory through Mohamed Mahmoud’s goal in the eighth minute of their semi-final.
The strike dashed Guinea's hopes of making it to the final but kept them in contention for a third-place finish, which carries an automatic ticket to Paris as the third African representative.
Egypt heads into the finals with an impeccable defensive record, having not conceded a single goal throughout the group phase and semi-finals.
This outstanding feat fills the team with confidence as they prepare to face the host nation, Morocco, in the ultimate showdown.
Following Egypt's qualification, the hosts, Morocco, sealed their own place in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Their journey was marked by a hard-fought 4-3 penalty victory over Mali, following an intense and highly entertaining 2-2 draw.
While both Egypt and Morocco celebrate their qualification for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, their aspirations don't end there.
They now set their sights on clinching the U23 AFCON title in the final to be played on Saturday in Rabat, adding even more glory to their Olympic campaign.
It's been some time since an African nation finished in the top three at the Summer Olympics, with Nigeria being the last to accomplish this feat in 2016, held in Brazil.
Noteworthy performances by African countries in the past include Ghana's third-place finish in 1992, followed by Nigeria's consecutive gold medals in 1996 (USA) and Cameroon's success in 2000 (Australia).
Meanwhile, Guinea and Mali face off in the third-place playoff. This crucial match will not only determine the podium finish but also decide which of the two nations will join Egypt and Morocco as representatives at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Additionally, the losing team in the third-place playoff will have another opportunity to secure a place in the competition through a play-off match against an Asian country, with the date yet to be determined by the competition organizers.
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