Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Talca: Asia was left without a representative in the quarter-finals of the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup after AFC U-16 Championship winners DPR Korea crashed to a 3-0 loss to Mali in their Round of 16 encounter at the Estadio Fiscal on Thursday.
With neighbours Korea Republic and Australia bowing out of the competition following respective Round of 16 defeats to Belgium (2-0) and Nigeria (6-0), and Syria failing to get beyond the Group Stage, DPR Korea were the continent’s remaining representatives.
But their hopes of being the only one of the continental quartet to reach the quarter-finals were dealt an early blow with Amadou Haidara putting the African champions one up with just eight minutes on the clock when the Guidars FC midfielder intercepted a DPR throw in before firing home an unstoppable drive from over 20 yards out that left North Korean keeper Ri Chol-song rooted to the spot.
The Group D winners extended their advantage in the 37th minute when Sidiki Maiga scored the first of his double, knocking home Boubacar Traore’s free-kick after a well-timed run saw him get in behind the DPR Korea defence.
And just three minutes into the second half Maiga netted the third and final goal of the game as opening scorer Haidara turned provider with a perfectly-weighted pass to the AS Real Bamako forward, whose first-time shot capped the win that saw Mali set up a quarter-final clash with Croatia and see Asia without a team in the last-eight at Chile 2015.
Photo: FIFA/Getty Images