The 16 teams that will further contest as champions of the 18th Edition of the world U17 male soccer championship emerged Monday morning from venue of the competition, Brazil. The round of 16 stages initiates the knock out stages where a losing team is out of the competition.
The European football body, UEFA is supplying four of them namely France, Netherlands (Holland), Italy and Spain.
All the four entries of the South American body, CONMEBOL qualified namely Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Chile.
Africa’s two debutantes of CAF Stable, Senegal and Angola qualified along with Nigeria.
The Asia Football Confederation also has Korea, Japan and Australia.
Hosts Brazil and Mexico are from CONCAF.
Angola opens the round of 16 stages against Korea at 1630 hours on Tuesday before former champions, Nigeria will tackle Netherlands also called Holland at 2000 hours same Tuesday.
Four matches will take place on Wednesday. Japan and Mexico will slug it out at 1630 hours while Spain and Senegal will play at the same time. Later that day at 2000 hours, Brazil will lock horns with Chile while France will face Australia.
The round of 16 stages will be concluded on Thursday as Ecuador and Italy square it up at 1630 hours with a roundup of Paraguay versus Argentina.
Quarterfinalists will emerge from each of the named fixtures. Eight teams will stay to move the tournament forward to the next level.
– ENIOLA OLATUNJI.
