FIFA U-17 WC: Nigeria Ready or Not, Here We Come

Just a friendly reminder, FIFA Under-17 World Cup finals will take place in Nigeria from October 24 to November 15. Nigeria ready to host the tournament? It is not known if Nigeria’s Under-17 side would qualify for the tournament if held elsewhere. I don’t think so. I am sure Nigeria will do everything in its power to host this tournament because it’s the last hope. Will the Super Eagles (Super Chickens?) qualify for the 2010 World Cup?

It seems the Age cheating saga is now a thing of the past. Just a side note, the youngest ever player is Nigerian Peter Ogaba, who played in the FIFA Under-16 World Championship in 1987 at the tender age of 12 years and 10 months.

All those thinking that the Flames (Malawi National Team) were just lucky to get a point against Ivory Coast (Malawi 1 Ivory Coast 1) must check the facts. During the second round qualifiers (2010 World Cup) Malawi beat Egypt (1-0) (you may watch the video of the goal here) and DRC (2-1). The truth is that Malawi are no longer minnows (FIFA World Rankings shouldn’t fool you) may be that’s why the Junior Flames (Malawi Under 17) will be one of the teams at the Under-17 World Cup. The Junior Flames will be in Group E along with UAE, Spain and the Yanks.

The U.S., the only country to qualify for all 13 FIFA U-17 World Cups dating back to 1985, will play against Spain on Oct. 26, Malawi on Oct. 29 and UAE on November 1. The 2009 tournament will be the fifth straight time that the U.S. has been drawn into a group with a team from Europe, Africa and Asia.

On the FIFA Under 17 All Time Ranking, Spain are ranked 5th while the US are ranked 6th. United Arab Emirates are ranked 58th. Malawi are not ranked. This is the first time for Malawi to qualify for World Cup Finals. Though they may be the team to beat (literally), they will learn a thing or two from the tournament. The Senior Flames future looks good because these Under 17 players will represent Malawi at the 2014 World Cup. Please note that from all the Under-17 events, 67 players went on to participate in the FIFA World Cup final and came out on top: Frenchman Emmanuel Petit in 1998 (France vs. Brazil) and Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002 (Germany vs. Brazil). Petit took part in the Under-16 World Cup Championship in 1987 and Ronaldinho triumphed in 1997 final.

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