U20 FOOTBALL
Julio Gonzalez Ferreira: a tale of triumph over adversity
- A car accident put an end to his professional football career
- But thanks to football he overcame the odds and succeeded
- Today he is a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina, the same tournament and country in which he shone so brightly 22 years ago
The accident happened on 22 December 2005, on the road between Vicenza and Venice, hours before he was due to fly home to Paraguay for the holidays.
Twenty-seven days later, and despite their best efforts, the medical team were forced to amputate his left arm.
Julio Gonzalez Ferreira was 24 years old. The dreams he had had as a kid kicking the ball around near his childhood home in Asuncion were now over.
Dreams that had been sustained by goals and hard work at club level and with the national team.
He had featured in the Paraguay sides that finished fourth at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2001 and won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, while his debut on the biggest stage was to come, with La Albirroja having had qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
“When the surgeon told me that they had to amputate my arm, my world fell apart,” Gonzalez Ferreira told FIFA.com, during a break from his duties with the FIFA Technical Study Group at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023.
“It’s hard to express everything that went through my head…I even had a pre-contract signed with Roma…I was going to replace my childhood hero, Gabriel Batistuta!” he added.
How did he get through it? “Football was at the heart of it. I knew that my future depended on my perseverance, on the same thing that made me a professional footballer in the first place.
“So I set out with the aim of playing again, no matter what the doctors said, or how many people thought it was impossible,” explains Gonzalez Ferreira, now 42 years old.
While Vicenza offered him a coaching role within their youth set-up as his recovery advanced, Julio returned to Paraguay in 2007, and signed with Tacuary.
There, after a great deal of hard work, on 18 November 2007, 22 months and 26 days after the accident, he took to the field and played professionally once more.
With his brother Celso playing alongside him, Gonzalez Ferreira was on the field for nearly 60 minutes against a powerful Olimpia side.
The story made headlines worldwide, and served as inspiration for thousands of people. “That achievement meant that football could be the main priority in my life once more. Since then, I’ve stayed in the game in one form or another.”
He retired in 2008. Since then, he has worked with Inter Milan’s foundation in Paraguay, running training sessions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He also qualified as a coach, working in the lower divisions. Last year, he joined the FIFA Legends programme.
His time at the current tournament in Argentina is, he says, “bringing back so many memories”.
It was here that he was one of the key players when Paraguay secured a historic fourth place finish in the U-20 World Cup Argentina 2001. He is surprised when FIFA.com shows him a video of the two goals he scored in that competition, against Iran in the group stage and against Ukraine in the round of 16.
“I really wanted to see them again. They bring back such happy memories, a really nice feeling!” he smiles.
He speaks with a touch of emotion when asked what it means to him to form part of the FIFA Technical Study Group here. “It’s life’s way of answering me, of saying ‘this is your reward for all that effort, all that sacrifice, for never giving up, never throwing in the towel. Life and football are repaying you now.’”
In between memories, the former forward organises his papers and his tablet ahead of the first of the round of 16 games.
During the matches, he observes and analyses all the “tactical, technical, physical and even psychological aspects of the game, generating data that the teams and players can then use.
And FIFA makes them available to the world of football via their Training Centre, which anyone can access,” he explains. “All this material we generate is fantastic, because it goes into a final report for the tournament.
“Have you any idea how valuable all this information would have been in my time as a player?” he adds.
With his coach’s eye, he has been impressed by what he has seen so far in the tournament, particularly “how the teams are building play from the goalkeeper or the central defenders, through the full-backs and midfield and ending up in organised attacking plays”.
The next game is about to begin, and Gonzalez Ferreira dives back into his work with a smile, happy at what he now helps to create. Football always gives a second chance to those who persevere.
-FIFA
U20 FOOTBALL
U-20 Afcon 3rd Place Battle: As it was before the tournament, so it will be on the final day
Before the Egypt 2025 Africa Cup of Nations began, hosts Egypt and former champions may have hoped to contest the title match as both clashed in a friendly encounter.
But this Sunday, they meet again. Not for the title, but in a third-place classification encounter.
In their previous clash, Nigeria won 2-0. Both teams were rated by pundits to emerge from their semi-final clashes, but the result went the other way and they are now due to play the losers’ final at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in downtown Cairo.
Morocco and South Africa will tango in a repeat of the 1997 Final, which the Atlas Cubs won 1-0 in Meknes.
It is the fifth time that Nigeria, who won the title in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015 will be playing for the bronze medals.
For Egypt, it will be the fourth time. Both have won the bronze medals three times previously.
Also, both Nigeria and Egypt contested the 2005 Final in Cotonou, with the Flying Eagles coming out top following a 2-0 win. Isaac Promise (of blessed memory) scored both goals.
As hosts in 1995, after losing their semi final tie to Cameroon in Kaduna, the Flying Eagles defeated Mali 1-0 in Lagos to pick up the bronze medals.
In 2009 in Rwanda, the team led by Haruna Lukman defeated South Africa’s Amajita 2-1 to place third in the competition.
In 2013, in Algeria, the Flying Eagles defeated Mali 2-1 to finish third after losing 0-2 to Egypt in their semi final clash at the Stade Omar Oucief in Aïn Témounchent.
Six years ago, following a penalty-shootout defeat to Mali in the semi finals, the Flying Eagles again lost on penalty shootout to South Africa in the third-place match.
Egypt’s first African U20 title was in 1981 (when the competition was played on home-and-away basis), after they defeated Cameroon 3-1 on aggregate.
Both teams travelled to Australia to represent Africa at the FIFA World Youth Championship (now known as FIFA U20 World Cup). Cameroon had earlier beaten Nigeria 4-2 on aggregate in the penultimate round.
The Young Pharaohs won their second title at the inaugural tournament-format finals, which Egypt hosted and which involved six countries, in 1991.
Their third title came 12 years later in Burkina Faso, when they defeated Côte d’Ivoire 4-3 after extra time at the Stade 4 August in Ouagadougou.
Egypt won their fourth title 10 years later. Ghana, the 1999 world champions, were the victims.
Regulation and extra time finished 1-1 at the Stade Ahmed Zabana in Oran, before the Young Pharaohs claimed the gong after winning the penalty shootout 5-4.
Nigeria’s first participation in the Africa U20 Cup of Nations was in 1979, when the team led by Sylvanus Okpala lost 1-2 on aggregate (0-1 in Conakry and 1-1 in Lagos) to Guinea and thus failed to qualify for the second edition of the global finals staged by Japan.
The Young Pharaohs, who lost by the odd goal to North African rivals Morocco in the second semi-final on Thursday, have also won the third-place match at the competition thrice previously.
They defeated Ethiopia on two occasions, 3-0 in Mauritius in 1993 and 2-0 when Ethiopia hosted eight years later. Their third win came in South Africa in 2011, when they defeated Mali’s Aiglons.
Nigeria and Egypt clashed in a group stage game two years ago, with the Flying Eagles victorious following Solomon Agbalaka’s powerful first-half header.
Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu may ring changes in the squad for Sunday’s game. The gaffer voiced his disappointment with the playing body following Thursday’s defeat to the Amajita.
Injured first-choice goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt is still under observation and would need a second assessment at Saturday night’s official training, to determine if he will be fit to return to the battlefield. Captain Daniel Bameyi, Odinaka Okoro, Adamu Maigari and Emmanuel Chukwu are the probables for rearguard.
Israel Ayuma has had an impressive tournament and should start in midfield, alongside any two among Sulyman Alabi, Simon Cletus, Divine Oliseh and Auwal Ibrahim. Clinton Jephta, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, Bidemi Amole, Precious Benjamin and Mendos Rickson are available for selection in the forward-line.
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At just 15 years old, Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt has taken the Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 by storm.
The goalkeeper, who plays for Sporting Lagos Football Academy, has been Nigeria’s starting shot-stopper throughout the competition—an almost unprecedented feat for someone of his age in a continental tournament of this calibre.
Born on 21 October 2009, Harcourt is the youngest player at this year’s championship, but his composure, reflexes and maturity have matched, if not surpassed, those of his more experienced peers.
As Nigeria prepares to face Egypt in the third-place playoff on Sunday, Harcourt has already cemented his reputation as one of the breakout stars of the tournament.
The Calm Commander of Nigeria’s Defence
Harcourt has started in all five of Nigeria’s matches en route to the third-place playoff.
From a 1-0 win over Tunisia to a goalless draw with Morocco and the dramatic penalty shootout victory over defending champions Senegal, the teenager has stood tall between the sticks.
He has kept three clean sheets and conceded just two goals in regulation time—one of the best records at the tournament.
His most defining moment came in the quarter-final against Senegal, where he saved two penalties in the shootout, leading the Flying Eagles to the semi-finals and securing Nigeria’s place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
That performance didn’t just win the match—it earned Harcourt admiration from scouts and fans across the continent.
A Star on the Rise
Harcourt’s rapid development began at Sporting Lagos Academy, where he joined at age 10.
Even then, coaches were impressed by his discipline, confidence, and natural shot-stopping ability.
Over the past year, he has rapidly climbed through the ranks, culminating in his surprise selection for the national U-20 squad—despite being nearly five years younger than many of his teammates.
“We knew we had something special,” one of his former coaches in Nigeria said during the tournament.
“He plays with the maturity of someone ten years older. His feet, positioning, and focus are elite for his age.”
Europe Takes Notice
With performances this compelling, it’s no surprise that European interest is growing fast.
Clubs in France, Belgium, and Germany are reportedly monitoring Harcourt’s progress, with several inviting him to training and assessment camps.
Nigerian Premier League sides have also expressed interest, but the focus from his handlers remains on steady development rather than rushing into a professional deal.
One European scout said: “If he receives the right guidance, he could be one of Africa’s top goalkeepers within five years.”
Eyes on the Future
As Nigeria prepare to face Egypt on Sunday in the third-place match, Harcourt will once again be between the posts.
Regardless of the result, this tournament has already been a turning point for the teenage sensation. In a position that demands maturity, decision-making, and courage, Ebenezer Harcourt has proven he belongs.
And for Nigerian fans dreaming of future glory, this young goalkeeper might just be the future.
-CAF
Morocco sealed their place in the final of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations with a narrow 1-0 victory over Egypt on Thursday, setting up a decisive clash with South Africa, who earlier edged Nigeria 1-0 in the day’s first semi-final.
it was substitute Jones El Abdellaoui who proved to be the difference-maker, finding the back of the net in the 77th minute. The striker latched onto a well-delivered cross from Ismaël Aouad, calmly slotting home to give the Young Atlas Lions a deserved lead.
The North African derby was marked by its intensity and physicality, with both sides battling hard for supremacy. Egypt started brightly but found clear chances hard to come by, while Morocco gradually grew into the match, creating more meaningful opportunities as the game progressed.
Morocco’s dominance in possession began to tell in the second half, with Reda Laalaoui, Fouad Zahouani, and Hossam Essadak all testing Egypt’s backline with long-range efforts and clever build-up play.
The breakthrough came after a spell of Moroccan pressure, and despite Egypt’s late attempts to respond—most notably through Ahmed Kabaka and Mohamed Raafat—the Pharaohs could not find a way past Morocco’s resolute defense.
The Young Atlas Lions will now face South Africa in what promises to be an enthralling final on Sunday evening, while the hosts will look for a consolation bronze medal when they face Nigeria on the day.
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