The 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, hosted in Qatar and expanded to include 48 nations, showcased a strong debut from African teams on the opening day.
Mali made a remarkable entrance by defeating New Zealand 3-0 in Group L. Goals came from Seydou Dembele, Zoumana Ballo, and Raymond Bomba, marking a confident start for the team.
On Thursday, several African teams will compete, including Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Senegal. These teams aim to impress in their first matches or recover from earlier setbacks.
This 2025 edition of the U-17 World Cup features 48 teams, including 10 from Africa, demonstrating the vitality of African youth football on the world stage.
Author’s summary: African teams have made a strong impact in the expanded 2025 U-17 World Cup, with Mali’s commanding win signaling the continent’s growing presence in youth football.