FIFA U-17 World Cup: Three African teams secure knockout stage berths

By Biwah Bryan

Mali, Morocco, and Senegal have all sealed their spots in the knockout stage of the ongoing U17 FIFA World Cup after playing their final group-stage matches.

Mali’s qualification

With a magnificent 5-1 victory over Canada, Mali has sealed its spot in the FIFA U-17 World Cup knockout stage, finishing second in Group B after Spain.

Ibrahim Diarra gave Mali the lead with an exceptional finish in the 14th minute, while Mahamoud Barry extended the scoreline to 2-0 by bundling home from a corner kick, ultimately securing the win and their place in the next round.

Morocco’s qualification

Morocco defeated Indonesia 3-1, earning six points, and earned the lead in Group A ahead of Ecuador. Anas Alaoui scored for Morocco from the penalty spot before Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal made it 2-0 with a goal from a corner kick.

Nabil Asyura equalized for Indonesia with a fantastic free-kick, but Morocco’s solid defense thwarted their opponents’ efforts to score in the second half.

Mohamed Harmony then added a spectacular goal for Morocco, solidifying their win and qualification for the Atlas Cubs.

Senegal’s Qualification

Despite a 2-0 loss to Japan, Senegal qualified for the knockout stage after finishing second in Group D on goal differentials.

The game was closely contested, but the Japanese forward Rento Takaoka who scored all four of his team’s goals in the competition was the point of difference, netting 2 goals for his side.