Uganda and Burkina Faso delivered the shocks of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ Round of 32 on Saturday, with the tournament debutants edging Senegal 1-0 before the Burkinabè knocked out holders Germany by the same scoreline. 

South Africa and Tunisia exited after defeats to Japan and Austria respectively, while the last-16 line-up was completed with progress for England, Italy, Japan, Korea DPR, Austria and Uzbekistan.

Uganda struck early and held their nerve. Abubakali Walusimbi’s thumping drive from distance on 15 minutes beat Senegal goalkeeper Serigne Diouf to give the East Africans a lead they would not relinquish.

The Lions of Teranga, who had not conceded in the group stage, threw everything forward but found Edrisah Waibi in inspired form.

The goalkeeper, later named Player of the Match, produced a string of saves—his best a sharp stop from Mignane Ndour’s clean volley—as a penalty award was overturned and a late leveller ruled out for offside.

Waibi said the victory was built on character as much as tactics: “It was a good game; we played well. The physicality made it tough, but we were strong. It’s massive for my team to be in the last 16.”

Coach Brian Ssenyondo praised his side’s bravery: “We showed character, spirit and resilience. As tough as Senegal were, we fought for everything and deserved to win.”

Striker Alwaly Camara reflected on Senegal’s missed chances: “We should have won. We had three or four early opportunities. Mistakes cost you—next time, maybe things go our way.”

If Uganda’s win raised eyebrows, Burkina Faso’s result sent tremors through the tournament. Mohamed Zongo punished a German error on five minutes, cutting inside from the right to curl a stunning finish into the far corner.

Germany, champions in Indonesia two years ago, camped in the Burkinabè half after the break and thought they had equalised deep into stoppage time, but Benno Kaltefleiter’s close-range effort was ruled offside.

Burkina Faso coach Oscar Barro hailed a “flawless” display: “My young players showed tenacity, commitment and solidarity—these are warriors. They knew what they wanted and proved it on the pitch.”

Germany coach Marc-Patrick Meister admitted his side were short of their usual levels: “We didn’t play well and made a lot of mistakes with the ball. We kept going and were one goal short of penalties, but credit to my boys for the fight.”

Elsewhere, Japan’s high tempo proved too much for South Africa in a 3-0 win. After a goalless first half, Hiroto Asada poked home at the third attempt, Minato Yoshida added a composed second and substitute Shota Fujii headed a third to end Bafana Bafana’s campaign.

Tunisia also bowed out late, undone 2-0 by Austria as Johannes Moser converted an 83rd-minute penalty before a deflected effort off Mazen Slama Essefi sealed it a minute later.

Saturday’s results complete the last-16 cast, with Uganda and Burkina Faso joining England, Italy and Japan—each comfortable winners on the day—alongside Korea DPR, Austria and Uzbekistan.

For African fans, the headlines belonged to two bold, disciplined performances: Uganda’s first World Cup knockout victory and Burkina Faso’s dethroning of the champions.

-Cafonline

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Nine African sides have advanced to the Round of 32 at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, with two intra-African ties guaranteeing at least two quarter-final contenders from the continent. 

Zambia face Mali and Senegal meet Uganda in Friday–Saturday’s first knockout matches, while Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Tunisia take on European, Asian and North American opposition.

All kick-off times below are local (Qatar).

All-African ties

• Zambia v Mali – Fri 14 Nov, 15:30, Pitch 8 (Mahmoud Soufi Stadium)
  A heavyweight contest between two familiar African rivals opens the round. Zambia’s attacking edge meets Mali’s tournament know-how in a clash that will send one African side into the last 16.

• Senegal v Uganda – Sat 15 Nov, 15:30, Pitch 7 (Mansour Muftah Stadium)
  Group winners Senegal, inspired by a free-scoring frontline, face a disciplined Uganda who battled through a tight group. Expect high intensity and set-piece intrigue

The other African assignments

• Switzerland v Egypt – Fri 14 Nov, 16:00, Pitch 5 (Khaled Ballan Stadium)
  Egypt carry Africa’s hopes in a European test against compact Switzerland. The young Pharaohs’ transition speed will be key against Swiss organisation.
• USA v Morocco – Fri 14 Nov, 18:45, Pitch 7 (Mansour Muftah Stadium)
  Hosts of AFCON 2025 at senior level, Morocco’s U-17s now seek a statement win against a well-drilled USA. Defensive concentration will be crucial against American pressing.

• Japan v South Africa – Sat 15 Nov, 16:30, Pitch 3 (Bader Bilal Stadium)
  South Africa’s resilience is rewarded with a meeting against Japan’s technical, high-tempo side. Bafana Bafana’s counter-attacking threat could decide it.

• Germany v Burkina Faso – Sat 15 Nov, 17:45, Pitch 2 (Ibrahim Khalfan Stadium)
  Burkina Faso earned their knockout berth with grit and big-moment goals. Germany provide elite opposition, but the Stallions have shown they can disrupt favourites.

• Austria v Tunisia – Sat 15 Nov, 18:45, Pitch 5 (Khaled Ballan Stadium)
  Tunisia must unlock a disciplined Austria in a matchup likely to hinge on fine margins. Game management and set pieces look pivotal.

Why it matters for Africa

With nine representatives in the last 32 and two all-African fixtures, the continent is guaranteed at least two teams in the Round of 16.

The bracket also offers opportunities for further progress should Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Tunisia navigate their varied tests against European and Asian opponents.

The knockout phase follows a performance-based seeding from the group stage.

Teams from the same group cannot meet in this round; where necessary, fixtures are adjusted to avoid repeats.

The winners advance to the last 16 as the race to Doha’s final accelerates.

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The FIFA Referees Committee has officially announced the roster of match officials who will take charge of games at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025, scheduled to hold from October 17 to November 8.

A total of 54 officials — comprising 18 referees and 36 assistant referees — from 36 different countries have been selected for the prestigious youth tournament.

However, once again, no Nigerian referee or assistant referee is among the six African officials listed, continuing a concerning trend of absence at FIFA women’s tournaments.

“It is always exciting for me when announcements such as this one are made, but this one is even more special than normal,” said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “This year’s tournament is the first of the annual competitions to be played in Morocco over the next five years, and the first edition with 24 participating teams.”

Collina emphasised the importance of both players and officials gaining international exposure: “It is vital for young players to be given the opportunity to test themselves against the very best in the world in their age category.

“The same goes for match officials — this is an invaluable chance to learn, improve and grow in their chosen fields, all for the good of the game.”

One of the innovations for this edition will be the continued use of the Football Video Support (FVS) system — a cost-effective alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Unlike VAR, FVS does not employ dedicated video match officials or automatically review every critical incident. Instead, team head coaches can request limited reviews during match-changing moments such as goals, penalties, direct red cards, or mistaken identity. Players may also advise their coaches to initiate a review.

FIFA’s Head of Women’s Refereeing, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, highlighted the growing impact of the tournament and its significance for women’s football.

“Morocco will be the home of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the next five years. The country shows such a passion for women’s football that we can’t wait for the tournament to start.

More diversity equals more opportunities for match officials to show just how much they are in tune with the game and its expectations.”

The 2025 edition marks a historic shift in the competition’s format, expanding the field to 24 teams for the first time — a move aimed at increasing global participation and development opportunities in women’s football.

While the expansion promises more opportunities for emerging footballing nations and officials, Nigeria’s continued absence from the officiating cadre raises fresh questions about the country’s investment in referee development at the international level, particularly in the women’s game.

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