Egypt and Zambia secured impressive victories at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, while Cote d’Ivoire must work hard to improve their chances of reaching the knockout rounds.
Egypt comfortably defeated Haiti 4-1 in Group E, placing them at the top of the standings ahead of Venezuela, which convincingly overcame England 3-0 in the other match of the group.
The Egyptians had four different players score, as Belal Attia, Abdelaziz El Zoghby, Hamza Abdelkarim, and Omar Kamal all contributed to a strong performance for the North African team.
Egypt’s next match is against Venezuela on Friday, which could be crucial for both teams in the group. In Group H, Zambia emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Indonesia after coming back from a deficit to secure the three points.
They struck three goals within a span of six minutes in the first half, with tall forward Abel Nyirongo scoring twice and Lukonde Mwale adding another.
Zambia will play again on Friday against Honduras, who suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil in their first game. Côtee d’Ivoire faced difficulties against a solid Swiss team, which won 4-1 in Group F. The Ivorians found themselves trailing 4-0 before Hubert Yao managed to score a late consolation.
Their next match is against Mexico on Friday, who also lost their opening game 2-1 to South Korea.
The top two teams from each group will automatically progress to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams, providing ample opportunities for teams to advance.
