By Humberto Viera
01 Dec 2023, 17:17 PM EST
At the Stadion Manahan in Indonesia, the Mali U-17 soccer team achieved a resounding 3-0 victory over its counterpart from Argentina in the match for third place in the U-17 Soccer World Cup.
From the start of the match, the African team showed its determination, displaying impressive speed down the flanks and putting constant pressure on an Argentine defense that, during the first 10 minutes, struggled to adapt to the pitch.
The first score came in the 9th minute when Ibrahim Diarra controlled a ball on the edge of the area with his chest, executing a precise shot towards the far corner of Argentine goalkeeper Jeremías Florentín.
Despite Argentina’s efforts to balance the game in the midfield and create danger with two promising arrivals, Mali increased its advantage before the break with a goal from Mamadou Doumbia after a free kick, impacting in a peculiar way with his shoulder and sending the ball into the back of the net for 2-0.
At the beginning of the second half, Mali consolidated their dominance with a masterful third goal. Hamidou Makalou dazzled by clearing the area with a skillful ‘tunnel’ to one of the Argentine defenders, followed by an impeccable finish in front of the open goal, after beating another defender and the goalkeeper.
Despite the imminent defeat and the discouraging situation, Argentina had the opportunity to score a consolation goal in the 61st minute, when Claudio Echeverri made a movement down the wing and shot cross, but his goal was disallowed for a clear offside pointed out by the assistant, frustrating the hopes of the Argentines.
At the end of the 90 minutes, Mali took third place in the U-17 World Cup, leaving Argentina in fourth place in the tournament held in Indonesia. Attention now turns to the final between Germany and France, scheduled for Saturday.
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