International Football
NIGERIA IS THE TEAM TO BEAT AS U17 WORLD CUP KICKS OFF
The FIFA U17 World Cup kicks off this Saturday in Brazil, but it is record winners, Nigeria that will get the global attention. No country has won the trophy more than the Nigerian side, which had played eight final matches winning five times in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
The three final matches Nigeria lost are those of 1987, 2001 and 2009.
A glance over the years serves to illustrate how the organisers of the past championships endowed each one with an individual flavour.
CHINA 1985
The inaugural FIFA U-16 competition in 1985 – the first international football tournament to be held in China PR – saw stadiums filled to capacity, and the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, with a capacity of 80,000, packed to the rafters no fewer than four times. African supremacy, which was to leave its mark on championships in later years, began to assert itself, with Nigeria emerging as the winners and Guinea reaching the semi-finals.
CANADA 1987
The sprawling cities of Toronto and Montreal and the picturesque provincial venues of Saint John (New Brunswick) and St. John’s (Newfoundland) provided the backdrop to the second FIFA Under-16 World Tournament in Canada in 1987. Nigeria were on the verge of repeating their 1985 triumph in a thrilling final only to be downed by the Soviet Union in a penalty shootout.
SCOTLAND 1989
In 1989 it was the turn of the first European country, namely Scotland, with its long and sophisticated tradition in professional football, to host this FIFA championship. At the memorable final in Glasgow’s Hampden Park, a crowd of more than 50,000 watched transfixed as the home team, two goals up at half-time, allowed Saudi Arabia to creep up on them and narrowly beat them on penalties after a goalless extra time
ITALY 1991
The Italian FA pulled off a feat of organisational prowess at very short notice when it managed to arrange yet another “Italian summer”. A series of unforgettable matches at six venues scattered all over Tuscany, culminating in technically superior, irresistible winners from Ghana, was the mark of this first U-17 World Championship. In 1991, the age limit for the tournament was raised from U-16 to U-17.
JAPAN 1993
In 1993 (shortly after the triumphant launch of the J. League), the Japanese proved themselves to be perfect and, above all, technologically superb organisers. Nigeria beat Ghana 2-1 in the final, setting new standards in technique and tactics for this age category.
ECUADOR 1995
Ghana’s youngsters made it three in a row for Africa as they swept to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brazil in the final of the 1995 U-17 World Championship in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
EGYPT 1997
Brazil became the first South American team to win the U-17 World Championship and added the FIFA/JVC Cup to its unparalleled list of international honours. In a repeat of the 1995 U-17 final in Ecuador, Brazil encountered Ghana but this time the roles were reversed. While two years earlier the Africans had held the upper hand, winning 3-2 in the final, this time it was Brazil who came out on top, coming from a goal behind to snatch a dramatic victory from the holders. Africa was the only continent that saw all of their teams – three – make it to the last eight.
NEW ZEALAND 1999
On a day when football in New Zealand set a new record for U-17 crowd attendance, Brazil edged out Australia 8-7 in a penalty shoot-out to retain their crown. A crowd of 22,859 spectators crammed into the stadium to watch. The Aussies, who had made it to their first-ever FIFA final, came close to pipping Brazil with a couple of excellent chances.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2001
France won their first FIFA U-17 World Championship in comprehensive fashion, leading throughout the entire tournament thanks to the lethal strike partnership of Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec. Sinama Pongolle scored nine goals, the most in a single U-17 World Championship.
FINLAND 2003
Brazil triumphed 1-0 over Spain at Helsinki’s Töölö stadium to become U-17 world champions for the third time. Although the eventful final produced the strike that equalled the all-time record for the most goals at a single FIFA U-17 World Championship (117 at Egypt 97), the final did not live up to the raucous goalscoring standards of Finland 2003. As always, the competition showcased a wealth of young talent, with the USA’s remarkable 14-year-old Freddy Adu leaving a lasting impression.
PERU 2005
After Ecuador in 1995, Peru became the second South American country to host the FIFA U-17 World Championship. With total attendance figures of over half a million spectators, Peru 2005 is in third place in the all-time FIFA U-17 World Championship ranking behind China PR 1985 and Egypt 1997. Triumphant Mexico sealed their first FIFA World Championship title at youth level, cruising past Brazil 3-0 in the final.
KOREA 2007
In 2007, the tournament was held on Asian soil for the third time and, having scaled the heights at China 1985 and Japan 1993, Nigeria left the continent with their third global crown. The Golden Eaglets also completed a virtual clean sweep of all the other accolades up for grabs at Korea Republic 2007. They edged past Spain on penalties in the final, and their ranks also boasted the adidas Golden Shoe and adidas Silver Ball winner – Macauley Chrisantus.
NIGERIA 2009
This was the second time, following Egypt in 1997, that the FIFA U-17 World Cup had been held on African soil. Switzerland, who were taking part in their first U-17 World Cup, claimed the title with a 1-0 win over Nigeria in the final in Abuja.
For the hosts and defending champions, the defeat meant that they narrowly missed out on becoming the first country to win four U-17 crowns, a feat that would have seen them pull clear of Brazil.
MEXICO 2011
The tournament was hosted by CONCACAF for the third time following Canada in 1987 and Trinidad & Tobago in 2001. By defeating Uruguay 2-0 at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, hosts Mexico claimed the title for the second time, the first being in 2005. Uruguay reached the final for the first time.
UAE 2013
The FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 featured exciting matches and stunning results, with the young Nigerians claiming the trophy by overcoming Mexico in the final. The Africans therefore became the only country to win the tournament four times, surpassing the achievements of Brazil, crowned champions on three occasions.
CHILE 2015
Nigeria became the first country to win the title for a fifth time, and with Mali also reaching the final, Chile 2015 had the first all-African final since 1993 when Nigeria saw off Ghana.
There was another surprise team on the last step of the podium, with Belgium taking bronze despite being less fancied than other European participants, such as France and Germany, who both shone before being knocked out in the round of 16.
INDIA 2017
The tournament was won by England after a thrilling 5-2 victory in the final against Spain. There was plenty to celebrate throughout the competition with a record number of 183 goals, the most of any U-17 World Cup edition which was also watched by record attendances totalling 1.35 million spectators across the country.
By Kunle Solaja
Match Context
- Fixture: Jordan vs Nigeria
- Venue: Antalya, Turkey
- Occasion: Four-Nation Invitational Tournament
- Kick-off: Tuesday (evening)
They would have loved facing Jamaica in Mexico today for a place at the World Cup, but fate has other plans, and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be taking on World Cup debutants Jordan in a friendly match instead in Turkey.
The encounter promises to be a revealing contest for both sides as preparations intensify for future global assignments.
The encounter, staged as part of a four-nation tournament in Turkey, will be the third meeting between the two countries, with the head-to-head record finely poised.
History Beckons in Third Meeting
Nigeria claimed a 2-0 victory in their first clash at the National Stadium, Lagos, on 28 April 2004 during the LG Cup.
However, the tables turned in 2013 when a largely experimental Nigerian side under the late Stephen Keshi suffered a 1-0 defeat in Amman, courtesy of a Hatem Aqel penalty.
This latest meeting now serves as the decider in what has quietly become a balanced rivalry.
Jordan arrive in buoyant mood, riding on the crest of a historic achievement, which is their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup (2026).
Jordan’s Al-Nashama
Their recent form underlines a team growing in confidence and tactical discipline. In the past months, Al-Nashama have:
- Held Russia (0-0)
- Defeated Dominican Republic (3-0)
- Drawn with Mali (0-0)
- Narrowly lost to Bolivia (1-0) and Albania (4-2)
- Pushed Tunisia (3-2 loss) in a competitive encounter
They also opened this invitational tournament with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, further evidence of their resilience.
The team’s preparations have been boosted by a morale-lifting visit from Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, during their Antalya training camp.
Coach Jamal Al-Salami has deliberately scheduled matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica, citing their stylistic similarity to World Cup opponents such as Argentina, Austria, and Algeria.
Despite missing several key players, including star forward Mousa Ta’mari, Jordan have continued to show depth, blending senior players with youth prospects as part of a broader developmental strategy.
Nigeria head into the clash with renewed confidence after a 2-1 victory over Iran in their opening game of the tournament, with goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Unlike previous meetings, the Super Eagles are expected to field a full-strength squad, packed with Europe-based stars, something Jordanian observers have already described as a “heavyweight challenge.”
The squad boasts a blend of experience and attacking flair.
The presence of multiple attacking options gives Nigeria a clear edge going forward, while their physicality and pace could pose serious problems for the Jordanians.
Jordan are expected to adopt a compact, disciplined shape, relying on quick transitions and defensive organisation, qualities that earned them results against stronger opposition in recent friendlies.
Nigeria, by contrast, will likely dominate possession, using width and individual brilliance to break down Jordan’s defensive lines.
The key battle may lie in midfield, where Jordan’s structure will be tested against Nigeria’s blend of strength, technique, and tempo.
For Jordan, this is another step in fine-tuning a squad preparing for its historic World Cup debut—a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition.
For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to assert authority, build cohesion among its star-studded squad, and maintain momentum ahead of more competitive fixtures.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
A clash of kit colours caused confusion for players and made it difficult for fans watching on TV to tell the teams apart as World Cup co-hosts, the U.S., were accused of being responsible for a mix-up in a 5-2 friendly defeat by Belgium on Saturday.
Both teams used the match to launch the new kit they will wear at the June 11 to July 19 World Cup, which is also being held in Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. sported a design that pulls directly from the red and white stripes in the American flag, while Belgium wore their away kit, which was light blue with pink accents.
“Sometimes you had to look twice, especially if you wanted to play quickly,” Belgian winger Jeremy Doku told his national television afterwards. “I would have preferred clearer colours.”
American captain Christian Pulisic said it was difficult to deal with.
“A lot of times you get the ball, and you look up, you can’t really lock in on something. You can only base it on the colour of the shirt. That’s how it works,” he told reporters. “And when it’s very similar, it’s difficult.”
Belgian television apologised to viewers after the match, with analyst and former Belgian international Marc Degryse criticising organisers.
“Football is a product that needs to be sold. Everything always has to be better and better, yet they still managed to make the match annoying with the jerseys,” he said.
“This goes completely against the whole commercial aspect. This is really unacceptable.”
US Soccer said pictures of both jerseys were sent to match referees before the match, and at no time did they indicate they felt there was a conflict.
Belgian media said on Sunday the fault lay with the hosts, who insisted on playing in their new red and white jerseys, which clashed with both Belgium’s first-choice red strip and also the lighter away kit.
Both countries wanted to unveil their new jerseys for the first time, but after becoming aware of the situation, Belgium proposed to play in their traditional red, the reports said.
However, that was not an option because the U.S. shirt also contains a lot of red. One solution could have been for the U.S. to play in their dark blue kit, but that did not fit into their commercial plan, the reports added.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Mexico and Portugal played out a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Azteca on Saturday in a friendly to mark the stadium’s reopening ahead of the World Cup.
The match doubled as a test event for the revamped stadium, drawing a festive crowd eager to sample the atmosphere ahead of the June 11 to July 19 global soccer showpiece, which Mexico is co-hosting with the U.S. and Canada.
“It’s the best possible scenario, as I’ve said; to play here, you’ve got to have guts, because the fans are demanding and want to win and see good football,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre told reporters.
“The players gave it their all right to the end against Portugal, who are not an easy team. They’re a top-10 side, a really solid team.”
Portugal’s Joao Felix went close in the 14th minute before Goncalo Ramos struck the post midway through the first half.
The visitors continued to look the more dangerous side after the break, with Bruno Fernandes firing just wide.
Tensions briefly flared between Pedro Neto and Jesus Gallardo, while the introduction of Toluca’s Portuguese striker Paulinho was met with loud cheers from the home crowd.
“I think we had 10 shots on goal, which isn’t far off what we were aiming for,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.
“What isn’t good is the number of shots on target; we lacked accuracy.
“Success or failure isn’t just about the score. There are many more factors at play these days. I think that, after 90 minutes, the team is better prepared for the World Cup.”
Mexico almost claimed a late winner through substitute Armando Gonzalez but the forward’s header went wide.
Mexico, who were booed by sections of the crowd at the final whistle, face Belgium in another friendly on Tuesday, while Portugal take on the United States the same day.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos in action with Mexico’s Erik Lira REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Super Eagles Face Stern Test Against World Cup-Bound Al-Nashama
Last Chance to World Cup 2026: DRC Leopards Seek Redemption, Jamaica Reggae Boyz Chase History in Intercontinental Play-off
LA28 says first Olympic tickets will go on sale on April 9, resale partners named for 2027
- World Cup1 week ago
FIFA Cancels Thousands of Hotel Rooms in World Cup Host Cities Amid U.S. Immigration Concerns
- World Cup5 days ago
World Cup Fans, Players And Officials Face $15,000 Visa Bonds to Enter U.S.
- AFCON2 days ago
AFCON to Expand to 28 Teams as CAF Unveils New Competition Calendar
- CAF Champions League1 week ago
Ten-man Zamalek hold on in dramatic Otoho clash to reach semi-finals
- World Cup1 week ago
Absent Giants: Big Football Nations Missing from the 2026 World Cup
- AFCON2 days ago
CAF May Sanction Senegal Over AFCON Trophy Parade
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
NFF Extraordinary Congress to Set Stage for September Elections in Yenagoa
- AFCON1 week ago
Guinea FA Dismisses ‘Walkout’ Claims in 1976 AFCON Clash with Morocco