The group stage matches in the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup have ended with a lot of drama, and the unexpected happened to most of the countries. Below are the group standings and those who qualified:
Group A: Italy topped the group with a 100% record. Brazil took the second position with 4 points, while Morocco also qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
Group B: Korea DPR topped the group with a 100% record. Mexico came second with 6 points. The Netherlands finished with 3 points and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
Group C: The USA topped this group with 9 points. China PR followed with 6 points. Ecuador finished third with 3 points but couldn’t make it to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams because of goal difference.
Group D: Canada topped the group with a 100% record. France got 6 points as the second team in the group. My dear nation, Nigeria, came out third and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
Group E: Spain topped the group with 9 points. Colombia followed with 6 points, while Korea Republic got just 1 point, the same as the last team in the group, Côte d’Ivoire. Only Spain and Colombia advanced from this group.
Group F: Japan topped the group with 7 points. Paraguay came second with the same number of points as Japan (7 points). Zambia came out third with 3 points and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
Among the four African representatives, only Côte d’Ivoire got eliminated. The others — Morocco, Nigeria, and Zambia — would have been kicked out too if not for their best third-place standings. They only won one match each in their various groups. What a poor outing it has been for them. Now they’re set to face a bigger challenge, and I hope some of them progress to the next stage.
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