The FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be hosted by India will kick off in less than 50 days, and it is time to take a closer look at the 24 teams who will fight it out for one of the prestigious honors in youth football.
We will go through every group and let you know what to look for and what to expect from each participant before the tournament commences on October 6.
Let’s begin with Group A, which features hosts India, USA, Ghana and Colombia.
India
Nickname: Blue Cubs
Past records: Undoubtedly, the U-17 World Cup will be a major step forward for Team India to make a mark in international football. Looking at history, Indian football teams have never managed to qualify for any of the sport’s showpiece events, let alone recording anything remarkable.
For that very reason, the U-17 colts, who will be representing the country in its first major soccer tournament, is expected go all out as they have nothing to lose. Moreover, playing in front of the home crowd will certainly give them that extra boost and energy.
Path to qualification: India gained direct entry by virtue of hosting the tournament. The team had clinched second position in the 2015 SAAF Cup, but thereafter the performance at the international level remained below par.
India finished at the bottom in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 tournament held in Goa. At the group stage, they lost to Iran and UAE, and managed a draw with Saudi Arabia, thus finishing with only one point.
The dismal show continued in the U-16 Youth Cup and the BRICS U-17 tournament, both hosted by India, as the team could not register a single win.
Since 2015, the team has been traveling around the world playing friendly matches as part of the preparations for the U-17 World Cup. Decent performances in preparatory matches in Spain, Dubai, South Africa, Brazil, Germany and Mexico has definitely boosted the team’s confidence.
Strength: The ability to launch quick attacks through wings using the ‘long ball’ technique.
Weaknesses: Passing and ball control leave much to be desired.
Key players: Aniket Jadhav from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, dubbed as the 'Rising Star' of Indian football, will spearhead the attack. Captain Suresh Singh Wangjam, who will marshal the center of the pitch, too is a great asset.
Coach: Luis Norton de Matos, who took over from Nicolai Adam after the latter was sacked following a string of poor performances, is a good tactician. Matos, a former Portugal international, was the coach of the SL Benfica reserve side as well as Guinea-Bissau national team. He has built the team on solid defense and employs a counter-attacking strategy through wings based on long passes from the backline.
Expectations: Realistically speaking, it will be a tough task for India to advance to the next round from a group featuring USA, Colombia and Ghana. However, the coach oozed confidence when he recently stated that the team had the potential to cause massive upsets and progress from the group.
USA
Nickname: Stars and Stripes
Past records: USA have participated in fifteen out of the sixteen U-17 World Cups held so far. The team failed to qualify only once, in 2013. The fourth-place finish in the 1999 edition of the tournament held in New Zealand is their best performance so far. In the last edition held in 2015, the team failed to make it past the group stage.
Path to qualification: USA qualified for the biennial tournament by finishing second in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship held in Panama, losing to Mexico 4-5 in a penalty shootout.
Strengths: The team possesses plenty of experience, having played major international tournaments. The stellar performance in the CONCACAF championship has boosted their confidence.
Weaknesses: The defense, said to be the weakest link in the team, might struggle against teams with great attacking prowess. The team has conceded many easy goals in recent tournaments.
Key players: Five US players have made it to the CONCACAF championship’s best XI. They are, Chris Durkin (midfielder), Justin Garces (goalkeeper), Jaylin Lindsey and James Sands (defenders) and Joshua Sargent (forward).
Coach: Under coach John Hackworth's tutelage, who joined the team in 2015, USA have been playing free and fluid soccer with a strong command in the midfield.
Expectations: On paper, USA are seemingly strong enough to maintain their stature and reputation in this edition as well. One of the strongest sides in the U-17 World Cup, they are expected to sail into the semifinals without much difficulties.
Ghana
Nickname: Black Starlets
Past records: Champions in 1991 and 1995, and third in 1999, Ghana qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2007 where they managed a last-four finish.
Path to qualification: Ghana were the first country to qualify for the U-17 World Cup. They beat Burkina Faso 6-5 in two legs in the qualification round, before booking a World Cup ticket by finishing second in the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations held in Gabon.
Strengths: Ghana have some prolific scorers in their ranks. In the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, the team scored the maximum number of nine goals.
Weaknesses: Injuries to some of the players is a cause for concern for Ghana.
Key players: Captain Eric Ayiah, the top-scorer in Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, is the team’s livewire.
Coach: Paa Kwesi Fabin, who has been Ghana’s coach since 2011, is known for grooming young and talented players.
Expectations: The performance of the players who will come in to replace the injured ones will prove vital for Ghana. Nevertheless, they have the firepower to cause some upsets.
Colombia
Nickname: Los Cafeteros
Past records: Making their sixth appearance in the U-17 World Cup, Colombia’s best performance came in 2009, when they finished third. It was the last time they qualified for the tournament.
Path to qualification: Colombia booked a ticket to India following their third-place finish in the South American Under-17 Championship, beating Paraguay 2-1.
Strengths: Colombia possess great attacking prowess, and have a handful of lethal finishers.
Weaknesses: The team has crumbled under pressure against big teams recently. Their inability to cope with pressure was evident in their defeats to Brazil (0-3) and Chile (0-1).
Key players: Colombia have an exciting talent in Yadir Meneses. The gifted midfielder, who has drawn comparisons with James Rodriguez, has been in great form of late. Forwards Santiago Barrero, Juan Penaloza and Jaminton Campaz too have the ability to make inroads into any defence.
Coach: Orlando Restrepo, who has achieved remarkable success with Colombian youth teams, has been the U-17 squad’s coach since 2016.
Expectations: Colombia pin hopes on their quality attack to come up with an improved show this time around.
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