U17 World Cup: Mali Shocks as Morocco, Senegal Advance

On the opening day of the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, featuring 48 nations, several African teams made impressive starts to the competition

Julia

Nov 7, 2025 - 14:53

U17 World Cup: Mali Shocks as Morocco, Senegal Advance

Goals from Seydou Dembélé, Zoumana Ballo, and Raymond Bomba helped Mali to a 3-0 victory over New Zealand in Group L.

On Tuesday, November 4, Egypt had already secured victory by defeating 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 teams will take the field: Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Senegal will all be looking to improve their opening matches or rebound from disappointing starts.

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.