FIFA U-17 World Cup: Tajikistan Won Over Cameroon

Other African representatives, Nigeria, Angola and Senegal all won their opening matches.

Cameroon, Africa’s Under-17 football champions were upset in their Group E match by Tajikistan, losing 0-1 and thus becoming the only African team at the tournament in Brazil not to win their opening match.

Tajikistan’s victory was their second second win ever at a U-17 World Cup, their first coming twelve years ago against USA.

They were able to beat Cameroon via a penalty. Tajikistan’s head coach, Zaynidin Rakhimov, made a perfect pair of half-time subs – Amadoni Kamolov and Rustam Soirov came off the bench and combined to win the penalty kick that sealed the game.

And for Cameroon, it was a woeful outing to mark their return to the tournament after 16 years. They next face Argentina on 31 October, while Tajikistan will face Spain.

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In the other match in the group, South American kings Argentina settled for a goalless draw with Spain.

In the other results on Monday, Italy thrashed Solomon Islands in Group F, while Mexico and Paraguay played a goalless draw.

In Italy’s whitewash of Solomon Islands, 15-year-old Inter Milan prodigy Wilfried Gnonto, Italy’s youngest player, stood out. Gnonto, who turns 16 on 5 November, torched Solomon Islands defenders for two goals and one assist in a 10-minute span during the first half.