By Our man in Doha
DOHA, Qatar – Mali dumped African rivals Zambia out of the Under-17 World Cup yesterday, sealing a commanding 3-1 victory—but the drama unfolded on a pitch usually reserved for a light jog and a few cones.
The crucial Round of 32 clash, which decides who continues their dream for global glory, was played on the surprisingly low-key Pitch 8 at the mammoth Aspire Zone complex in Doha, Qatar.
While the tournament carries the prestigious “World Cup” tag, this contest wasn’t staged in one of Qatar’s iconic, air-conditioned mega-stadiums.
Instead, the youngsters battled it out on a simple turf pitch, part of the sprawling training facilities, proving that sometimes the biggest action happens on the most modest of stages.
The result was a brutal end for Zambia, who had enjoyed a historic debut tournament.
DREAM OVER
The Young Chipolopolo’s chances took a serious hit when their star goalkeeper, Christo Chitambala, couldn’t return for the second half due to injury.
Mali immediately pounced on the shift, with Ndjicoura Bomba breaking the deadlock in the 52nd minute.
While Zambia’s Mapalo Simute fired back to level the scores just after the hour mark, Mali’s relentless attack proved too much for the replacement keeper on the unassuming Doha training ground.
Seydou Dembele restored the Mali lead in the 85th minute before Lamine Keita delivered the final, crushing blow in stoppage time (90+2) to make it 3-1.
The West African powerhouses advance to the last 16, leaving the debutants of Zambia to pack their bags and contemplate their efforts on Pitch 8. Mali now await the winner of the USA vs Morocco tie as they look to go even further in the tournament.
