U17 FIFA World Cup: Mali defeat Argentina to secure third place
By Biwah Bryan
Mali secured third place in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup after defeating Argentina 3-0 at the Manahan stadium in Indonesia.
Ibrahim Diarra one of the standout players of the tournament scored the opener in the ninth minute after receiving a well placed pass from Sekou Kone before delivering a precise strike.
Mali continued to dominate the three-time bronze medallist as Mamadou Doumbia headed home Makalou’s free-kick delivery to make the score 2-0 before half-time.
Hamidou Makalou sealed the victory three minutes after the restart, sidestepping defender Tobias Palacio and Dylan Gorosito of Argentina to score Mali’s third goal.
Despite Claudio Echeverri’s strike being ruled offside and Makalou hitting the woodwork, Mali held on for an impressive win.
“We’re happy. We would have liked to take home the cup, but this bronze medal is very nice. During the match, we stuck together, and I dedicate this victory to the Malian people,” Diarra said after the match.
After winning five out of seven games and scoring 18 goals, Mali can be proud of their performance in the tournament, being the only African country to have reached the semi-finals of this year’s World Cup.
On the other hand, Argentina’s U17 who had turned a lot of heads after a commanding win against the arch-rival Brazil earlier in the tournament, finished fourth for the third time in the history of the tournament (2001, 2013, 2023).
