By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – Hosts United Arab Emirates have been placed in the same group as Brazil as excitement mounts for the under-17 World Cup in October, an important showcase for the region with so much attention focussed on the 2022 World Cup in nearby Qatar.
Honduras and Slovakia will also be in the UAE’s group following the 24-team draw in Abu Dhabi for a tournament that has traditionally been a stepping stone for the careers of some of the greatest names in world football.
In Group B, Uruguay will play New Zealand, Ivory Coast and Italy. Group C pitched Croatia, Morocco, Panama and Uzbekistan together while Group D sees Tunisia, Venezuela, Russia and Japan battling it out in Sharjah. Group E has Canada playing Austria, Argentina and Iran Dubai, while Group F involves defending under-17 world champions Mexico, three-time winners Nigeria, Iraq and Sweden.
UAE senior team coach Mahdi Ali said his players should not be intimidated playing Brazil. “I think it’s a good opportunity … to gain experience,” he told Gulf News. “Many people, when we played in the London 2012 Olympics and were drawn with Uruguay, Senegal and Great Britain, were afraid but I was very happy to play against such big teams to show the whole world that we have a good team and good players.”
The 52-match tournament takes place between 17 October and 8 November. As hosts, the UAE were guaranteed to avoid the five under-17 continental champions: Argentina, Uzbekistan, Ivory Coast, Mexico and Russia. But the threat of being drawn against Brazil or Nigeria, the two most successful teams in the 28-year-old event who have both won it three times, was always a possibility.
The most eye-catching group is Group F, with a mouth-watering clash between Nigeria and holders Mexico. The top two teams in all six groups advance, plus the four best third-place nations.
The tournament, the biggest football event for national teams in the country since the 2003 under-20 World Cup, represents a huge deal for the region, with matches taking place in six venues across the UAE. Before the draw, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, head of the Local Organising Committee, thanked FIFA “for giving us the chance to host the 15th edition of this prestigious tournament”.
He added: “I am here to assure you we are fully dedicated to putting on a tournament in keeping with FIFA standards and the ability of the United Arab Emirates to host world-class events. The tournament will be a big celebration of the beautiful game. Fans and players of the tournament will bring the people of the world together.”
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