PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup: 'Ghana or Mali must go home Wednesday'
Wellington, New Zealand (PANA) - One of Africa's four representatives at the ongoing 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand must be eliminated Wednesday when Group B winner Ghana takes on Mali here in the round of 16.
Mali qualified from Group C as one of the four best third-place finishers.
Whatever happens, temperature is sure to rise as the Round of 16 gets under way, with the first eight teams knowing that even the slightest mistake could leave them packing their bags for home.
The opening round of games features a pair of continental jousts as Serbia take on Hungary and Mali get to grips with Ghana, according to the FIFA media outlet.
A little later in the day, Colombia will tackle USA in what ought to be a very open encounter, while Ukraine and Senegal will bring their contrasting styles to bear in Auckland.
Ghana and Mali will be locking horns in an all-African affair in Wellington – a rematch of their play-off for third place at the 2015 CAF African U-20 Championship, which Ghana won 3-1.
Neither goalkeeper Djigui Diarra nor star midfielder Adama Traore featured in that game for Mali, however, and given how both have performed in New Zealand, Les Aiglons will be gunning for a different outcome.
Ukraine will start as a favourite on paper against Senegal given its clear strength at both ends of the pitch. Yet to concede, Ukraine possesses the meanest defence in the competition as well as the top scorer in five-goal Viktor Kovalenko, but it will need to beware of Senegal's ability to raise their game in knockout contests.
Les Lionceaux did exactly that at the most recent African U-20 Championship, eventually taking themselves all the way to the final.
According to FIFA statistics – The Round of 16 contains representatives from all six confederations for only the fourth time in Under-20 World Cup history, after the 1997, 2001 and 2003 editions also featured a clean sweep at this stage.
Meanwhile, just three of South America's four contenders have survived this time around, CONMEBOL having sent its full complement through to the knockout phase in each of the last eight final tournaments.
-0- PANA VAO/SEG 9June2015
Mali qualified from Group C as one of the four best third-place finishers.
Whatever happens, temperature is sure to rise as the Round of 16 gets under way, with the first eight teams knowing that even the slightest mistake could leave them packing their bags for home.
The opening round of games features a pair of continental jousts as Serbia take on Hungary and Mali get to grips with Ghana, according to the FIFA media outlet.
A little later in the day, Colombia will tackle USA in what ought to be a very open encounter, while Ukraine and Senegal will bring their contrasting styles to bear in Auckland.
Ghana and Mali will be locking horns in an all-African affair in Wellington – a rematch of their play-off for third place at the 2015 CAF African U-20 Championship, which Ghana won 3-1.
Neither goalkeeper Djigui Diarra nor star midfielder Adama Traore featured in that game for Mali, however, and given how both have performed in New Zealand, Les Aiglons will be gunning for a different outcome.
Ukraine will start as a favourite on paper against Senegal given its clear strength at both ends of the pitch. Yet to concede, Ukraine possesses the meanest defence in the competition as well as the top scorer in five-goal Viktor Kovalenko, but it will need to beware of Senegal's ability to raise their game in knockout contests.
Les Lionceaux did exactly that at the most recent African U-20 Championship, eventually taking themselves all the way to the final.
According to FIFA statistics – The Round of 16 contains representatives from all six confederations for only the fourth time in Under-20 World Cup history, after the 1997, 2001 and 2003 editions also featured a clean sweep at this stage.
Meanwhile, just three of South America's four contenders have survived this time around, CONMEBOL having sent its full complement through to the knockout phase in each of the last eight final tournaments.
-0- PANA VAO/SEG 9June2015
