Cairo, Egypt – The UAE national team drew with their Costa Rican counterparts in their opening match of the Under-17 World Cup, currently being held in Qatar.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, hosted by Qatar, kicked off today, Monday. For the first time in the tournament’s history, 48 teams are participating.
The UAE national team faced Costa Rica on Monday evening at Aspire Zone Stadium in Doha, Qatar, in the first round of Group C matches at the World Cup.
The match was evenly matched between the two teams for most of its duration, with the UAE national team players putting on an organized and courageous performance.
In the 31st minute, Costa Rica’s player, Isaac Padilla, received a red card, forcing his team to finish the match with 10 players.
The UAE team managed to take the lead first in the 59th minute through player Majid Adel.
It wasn’t long after the young Whites’ goal that Costa Rica equalized in the 62nd minute through Benitez.
The match remained a back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging attacks but neither managing to add a second goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The UAE national team is in Group C of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, alongside Senegal, Croatia, and Costa Rica. This presents a significant challenge for the team, which aims to deliver a strong performance and represent Emirati football with distinction on the global stage.
This edition features a strong Arab presence, including the Egyptian youth national team led by coach Ahmed El-Kass, along with other Arab teams aiming to make their mark on the tournament.
The UAE national team played the match with a lineup consisting of: Jassim Abdullah, Salem Essam, Suhail Al-Noubi, Ahmed Ekrami, Fahad Khalil, Mohammed Jamal, Abdullah Rashid, Faisal Mohammed, Ibrahim Yousef, Jayden Adeba, and Mayed Adel.
