FIFA U-17 World Cup: Group B is all about grit and fighting spirit

The start of the FIFA U-17 World Cup is less than two months away and in the build-up to the tournament we are looking at what soccer lovers can expect in each of the six groups.

Today we take a look at Group B, which features Mali, Paraguay, New Zealand and Turkey. Apart from Turkey, who made it to the semifinals in the 2002 World Cup, the three other teams have not achieved anything significant in senior world cups.

However, nobody can write them off as they possess the grit and fighting spirit to upset any team on their day.

The matches in Group B will take place at the D. Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, termed by tournament director Javier Ceppi as the best among the six venues designated for the tournament. The final encounter in the group between New Zealand and Mali will be held in New Delhi.

Take a close look at the four nations drawn in Group B:

New Zealand

Nickname: Young All whites

Strengths: The never-say-die attitude and ability to score at will. In the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) U-17 Championship 2017, the team netted as many as 27 goals.

Weaknesses: The lack of match experience comes to the fore while taking on bigger opponents.

Key player: Striker Charles Spragg, who claimed the Golden Boot in the OFC Championship with seven goals.

Coach: This will be first major assignment for forty-two-year-old Danny Hay. Danny, who was appointed the head coach in 2015, follows a training pattern that addresses strengths and weaknesses of each player.

Expectations: If the team manages to go past the first round, it will be a huge achievement.

Paraguay

Nickname: La Albirroja (the White and Red)

Strengths: The team has some proven goal-scorers. In the 2017 South American U-17 Championship, Paraguay scored as many as 16 goals and are riding high on confidence after beating Argentina and drawing with Brazil.

Weaknesses: The team has made it a habit to commit silly mistakes to concede goals, even after taking an early lead.

Fernando Romero

Key players: Center forward Fernando Romero has been in good nick in recent times, scoring goals against major teams, including Argentina. Striker Leonardo Sánchez, who netted for goals in the South American U-17 Championship, is another player to watch out for.

Coach: Forty-year-old Gustavo Morínigo coached the national U-20 team before being appointed manager of the U-17 squad. A midfielder in his playing days, Gustavo represented Paraguay in the U-20 World Cup.

Expectations: The scoring prowess may take Paraguay at least to the quarterfinals. The team will have to try its best to go past the knockout stage.

Mali

Nickname: Les Aigles (The Eagles)

Strengths: Mali played brilliantly in the AFCON U-17, clinching the title without losing a single game. In the group stage, the team thrashed Angola 6-1, while in the qualification round, they drubbed Chad 9-0.

Weaknesses: Mali’s performance has been inconsistent at times. Their habit of going overly defensive in key matches was obvious in the U-17 African Cup of Nations. The team survived a penalty shootout in the semifinal before hanging on to a one-goal lead in the final.

Key players: Goalkeeper Youssouf Koita, who did not let the ball get past him once during the entire encounter, even in the shoot-out, when Mali defeated Guinea in the semifinals of the U-17 African Cup of Nations. Forward Hadji Drame, who scored three goals in the tournament, is a rising star.

Coach: Jonas Kokou Komla is widely known for his penchant for spotting and grooming young talents. Jonas, who has been part of the training programs conducted by Spanish clubs such as Real Madrid and Valencia, was the coach of Djoliba Athletic Club, one of the major sides in the Malian Première Division.

Yusuf Keita

Expectations: If Mali manage to progress from the group stage, stronger teams will be awaiting them in the next rounds. These youngsters will be trying hard to emulate the success of their U-20 squad who clinched third spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2015. The team’s first goal will be to get past the group stage as said by the coach.

Turkey

Nickname: Crescent Stars

Strengths: Turkey’s recent wins over Italy and Croatia in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship speak a lot about the confidence and form of the team.

Weaknesses: The team seemed to wilt under the pressure while playing against stronger sides. They also tend to pack their defense and use spoiling tactics, a strategy which has backfired often.

Key player: Midfielder Atalay Babacan is blessed with extraordinary flair and skill and is an integral part of the squad.

Coach: Bulgarian Mehmet Hacioglu has been the Turkey U-17 team’s head coach since 2014. His ability to connect and send the right message to players and adopt tactics to maximize the team’s chances of success were evident in the qualification rounds.

Atalay Babacan

Expectations: Going by their performances so far, Turkey is expected to book a berth in the quarterfinal. Don’t be surprised if they send some of the heavyweights packing in the knockout stages.