U-20 FOOTBALL
Gambia stuns France in U20 World Cup upset
In a historic and sensational display, the Gambian under–20 team sent shock waves through the U20 World Cup as they defeated France 2-1 on the second day of the group stage in Argentina on Thursday.
In doing so, they become the second African team to advance to the Round of 16 after that of Nigeria on Wednesday night.
The Young Scorpions showcased their determination and skill, outplaying their French counterparts and securing their second consecutive victory in the competition.
This momentous triumph not only propels Gambia into the round of 16 but also cements their status as a rising force in youth football.
Facing a French team eager to recover from their stumble against South Korea in the opening match, the Young Scorpions displayed aggressiveness right from the kickoff despite France’s early possession dominance,
Gambia seized their first real opportunity by capitalizing on a mistake by French goalkeeper Yvan Lienard.
It was Gambian midfielder Mohammed Jobe who pounced on Lienard’s poor clearance, swiftly passing the ball to his teammate Adama Bodjang inside the box. Bodjang’s shot deflected off French defender Tanguy Zoukrou and found its way into the net (13′).
This early breakthrough allowed Gambia to go into the halftime break with a well-deserved lead at Estadio Mendoza.
Returning for the second half, Abdoulai Bojang’s young prodigies refused to sit back and defend their advantage.
Their enterprising nature persisted, with Jobe causing havoc once again. In the 56th minute, Jobe was brought down in the French penalty area after intercepting a poorly cleared ball by the defense, earning Gambia a penalty.
However, French goalkeeper denied Gambia’s captain Alagie Saine the chance to extend their lead, redeeming himself on this occasion.
The missed penalty proved to be a regretful moment for Gambia, as France equalized four minutes later through a strike from Wilson Odobert.
Showing immense mental strength, Alagie Saine and his teammates remained focused on their ultimate goal—victory.
Their persistence paid off in the 65th minute when Mamin Sanyang, in a superb display of skill, maneuvered past the French defense before unleashing a powerful shot that beat Liénard.
Despite intense pressure from France in the remaining minutes, the scoreline remained unchanged, thanks to the disciplined and well-organized Gambian defense.
Making their return to the U20 World Cup for the first time since 2007, Gambia has announced its resurgence with two wins in two matches. They previously defeated Honduras by the same scoreline.
Having already secured their spot in the round of 16, the young Scorpions will now face South Korea in a decisive match for the top spot in Group F.
Gambia joins Nigeria as the second African nation to progress to the knockout stage, as Nigeria also claimed their second victory in two matches, triumphing over Italy 2-0 on Wednesday.
The Gambian under-20 team’s remarkable performance against France has reverberated throughout the football world, and their continued success in the U20 World Cup establishes them as a rising power, igniting hope and pride within their nation and inspiring a new generation of young footballers.
-Cafonline
Uruguay and Italy will play the final match of the U20 World Cup holding in Argentina. Uruguay beat Israel 1-0 while Italy defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in their respective semi-final matches played on Thursday night.
It is the first time that both countries will be playing the final match. Twelve countries have won the cup in the past.
Argentina with six titles and Brazil with five are the most winners followed by Portugal and Serbia with two victories.
The other eight have a title each. They are Ghana, Russia, Spain, Germany and England. The remaining are France, England and Ukraine.
In Thursday’s semi-finals, goals from Cesare Casadei and Simone Pafundi secured Italy the 2-1 win over Korea Republic.
In the earlier semi-finals, a predator’s goal from Anderson Duarte grabbed Uruguay victory over Israel.
The final match will be played on Sunday night.
What a cruel fate for Flying Eagles’ coach, Ladan Bosso at the quarter finals stage of the U20 World Cup in the Americas.
Sunday night after-extra-time loss to Korea Republic was not the first time he experienced the cruel fate.
Flashback to 16 years ago in Canada. His Flying Eagles held on gamely in their quarter-final duel with Chile at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Scores at regulation time was 0-0. Then the match moved to extra time. Thereafter things fell apart and the centre could not hold.
A team that held the Chileans to 0-0 for 90 minutes suddenly fell like the Biblical Wall of Jericho.
At the extra time, Bosso’s team crumbled miserably to a 4-0 defeat.
Again, his team has had to suffer another extra time defeat at the quarter-finals.
Debutants, Israel will face either USA or Uruguay in the semi-finals of the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup after they eliminated five-time champions, Brazil.
Israel have become the first debutants to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA U-20 World Cup since Senegal in 2015.
An exquisite solo goal scored by Dor Turgeman saw debutants Israel come from behind to defeat Brazil 3-2 in an instant FIFA U-20 World Cup classic.
Israel will now play the USA-Uruguay winners in La Plata, while A Seleção will have to pack their bags for the journey home. Israel had the better of the first half, but Brazil had its best chance.
Following fine play from Savio down the right, Marquinhos’s effort from the back post, yards out, was kept out by the leg of Tomer Zarfati.
Marcos Leonardo’s excellent strike with his weaker left foot put Brazil ahead at the start of the second, but Anan Khalaili equalised with the header of this tournament.
Kaique then pulled off a superb save to deny Turgeman and send the game to extra time. Extra time held more drama and goals than your average 90-minute match.
Andrey Santos’s exquisite flick set up Matheus Nascimento to restore Brazil’s lead, but Hamza Shibli turned a cross in at the back post immediately to level things up again.
The decisive moment came at the end of the first half of extra time when Turgeman dribbled through Brazil’s defense before unleashing an unstoppable curler past Kaique.
An incredible second period of extra time saw Israel fail to score from the penalty spot twice, but Ofir Haim’s side were able to hold on and complete an historic victory.
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