By SCM Sports Correspondent I m Qatar
DOHA, Qatar — Italy’s young Azzurri secured their spot in the semi-finals of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup today, but it was the Aspire Zone setting that truly defined their gritty 1-0 quarter-final victory over a spirited Burkina Faso side.
Played out on the immaculate turf of Aspire Zone – Pitch 5, Khaled Ballan, the match underscored the new era of elite youth football in Qatar, where the beautiful game is contested not in grand, sweeping stadiums but on the purpose-built pitches of a world-renowned sports academy.
The single goal came midway through the second half, in the 83rd minutes when Italian forward Campaniello expertly finishing a through-ball, a moment of quality that separated the two evenly matched teams.
Burkina Faso pressed hard for an equaliser, but the Italian defence, marshalled brilliantly by Luca Reggiani, held firm to secure the narrow win.
While the action was thrilling, the setting proved to be a major talking point.
Aspire Zone, the epicentre of the U-17 tournament, swaps the monumental crowd noise of traditional stadiums for a more focused, contained environment across its eight high-tech pitches.
The atmosphere, though lacking the roar of 40,000, was intense and pure, a testament to Qatar’s vision for developing the next generation of football stars.
For the Italian youngsters, a date in the semi-finals awaits, but for Qatar, the seamless staging of a major FIFA knockout fixture on a training-ground complex proves their capability to host world-class football in multiple, flexible venues.
