U-17 World Cup: Mali surprises with wins over Morocco

On the opening day of the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, several African teams made impressive starts to the competition.

Mali got off to a flying start in Group L, defeating New Zealand 3-0 thanks to goals from Seydou Dembele, Zoumana Ballo, and Raymond Boumba.

On Tuesday, November 4, Egypt defeated Haiti 4-1 in Group E, thanks to two goals from Belal Attiya. Zambia defeated Indonesia 3-1 in Group H, while Ivory Coast had a poor start, losing 4-1 to Switzerland in Group F.

On Thursday, other African representatives will take the field: Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Senegal, all looking to improve or recover from disappointing starts in their opening matches.

The 2025 edition of the Under-17 World Cup will feature 48 teams, including 10 from Africa, showcasing the vibrancy of African youth football on the world stage.