Report: Morocco 2-1 England MU18s

England men’s under-18s slipped to a 2-1 defeat to sign off the 2024-25 season with a double header against Morocco.

Having beaten the Atlas Lions 3-1 last week at the Moroccan national football centre, Complexe Mohammed VI de Football, with Jesse Derry at the double and Josh Sonni-Lambie making the scoresheet, the Young Lions were eyeing consecutive wins.

Morocco struck first to break the deadlock in the second encounter between the two teams before Liam Bramley’s side hit back with just over half an hour played.

Trey Nyoni netted the equaliser for the Young Lions with 32 minutes on the clock to finish off an impressive move down the left-hand side. The Liverpool midfielder took two touches before taking aim and finding the top corner from the edge of the box.

However, on the stroke of half time, Morocco were awarded a penalty which was dispatched as the Atlas Lions took a 2-1 lead into the break.

And it was the first half that saw all the goals, with the two teams playing out a goalless second half in Salé as Morocco held on for victory.

England: 22 Khari Ranson (Arsenal), 12 Airidas Golambeckis (West Ham United), 2 Kian Noble (Manchester City), 17 Wes Okoduwa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 7 Harrison Armstrong (Everton), 14 Ollie Harrison (Chelsea), 8 Trey Nyoni (Liverpool), 19 Moses Sesay (Southampton), 10 Jesse Derry (Crystal Palace), 18 Baylee Dipepa (Southampton), 15 Andre Harriman-Annous (Arsenal)

Substitutes: 6 Samuel Amissah (Fulham) for Okoduwa 45’, 5 Jaden Dixon (Stoke City) for Golambeckis 52’, 3 Andre Garcia (Reading) for Harrison 52’, 16 Nicholas Oyekunle (Southampton) for Dipepa 52’, 4 Sol Sidibe (Stoke City) for Derry 52’, 9 Josh Sonni-Lambie (Liverpool) for Sesay 62’, 11 Amin Nabizada (Watford) for Harriman-Annous 75’

Substitutes not used: 13 Jack Austin (Chelsea), 1 Oliver Whatmuff (Manchester City)

Goals: Nyoni 32’

Head coach: Liam Bramley