Finalist in the 2015 edition, a comprehensive 3-0 win against Turkey has put Mali in a comfortable position and even a draw would be good enough for the African powerhouses. With Paraguay already qualified for the Round of 16 with two wins, Mali would be favourite against Danny Hay’s side whose best performance in its seven appearances remains reaching the pre-quarterfinals thrice. Mali is looking repeat its feat from two years ago and perhaps even go a step better. “We want to honour Mali and all of Africa during the U-17 World Cup. New Zealand, however, is looking to simply progress from the group stage for now.

Source: The Hindu October 11, 2017 08:54 UTC