PHOTO
Italy closed out their World Cup group stage campaign with a 3-1 victory over South Africa, topping Group A with a perfect nine points — a historic first for the Azzurrini. Goals from Inácio (brace) and Arena (born 2009) sealed the win at Doha’s Aspire Zone.
Head Coach Massimiliano Favo praised the team’s progress: “Records are nice, but what matters most is how we play. We’re creating plenty, but we need to be more clinical. Still, this group has great spirit and every player has contributed.”
Already through to the Round of 32, Italy now await their next opponents, to be confirmed after the final group-stage matches on Tuesday 11 November. The knockout phase will begin on 14–15 November.
MATCH REPORT
Italy lined up in their familiar 4-3-1-2, making six changes from the 4-0 win over Bolivia. South Africa mirrored them with a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Italy started fast: Inácio opened the scoring after just four minutes with a precise finish from Maccaroni’s through ball. The South Africans drew level in the 32nd minute through Els, but Italy retook the lead when Arena headed home from a corner in the 55th. Three minutes later, Inácio struck again to make it 3-1, securing his third Player of the Match award in as many games. Substitute Baralla nearly added a fourth with a free kick that hit the bar in the 86th minute.
ITALY 3-1 SOUTH AFRICA
Italy (4-3-1-2): Longoni; Iddrisa (67' Mambuku), Bovio, Reggiani ©, Marini; Maccaroni (67' Luongo), Prisco (81’ Baralla), Pandolfi (46' Steffanoni); Inácio; Lontani (46' Elimoghale), Arena.
South Africa (4-2-3-1): Radebe; Sekgoto, Dlekedla, Hendricks, Mothapo-Bowes; Mareletse ©, Dhlamini; Els, Witbooi (88' Noqobo), Booysen (75' Henson); Bohloko (64' Stevens).
Scorers: 4’ Inácio (ITA), 32’ Els (RSA), 55’ Arena (ITA), 58’ Inácio (ITA)
Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (JPN).
Assistants: Takeshi Asada (JPN), Satoshi Michiyama (JPN).
Fourth Official: Ben Aukwai (SOL).
VAR: Gareth Sheehan (NZL).
Bookings: Maccaroni (ITA) 38’, Witbooi (RSA) 39’, Prisco (ITA) 47’, Mareletse (RSA) 56’, Sekgoto (RSA) 80’.
Added time: 3’ + 4’
FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2025
Group Stage (3-11 November)
Group A: Qatar, ITALY, South Africa, Bolivia
Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal
Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, Switzerland
Group G: Germany, Colombia, North Korea, El Salvador
Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
Group I: United States, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czechia
Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Ireland
Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
Matchday 1 (3–5 November)
Monday 3 November
South Africa 3–1 Bolivia
Costa Rica 1–1 UAE
Senegal 0–0 Croatia
Japan 2–0 Morocco
Argentina 3–2 Belgium
New Caledonia 1–6 Portugal
Qatar 0–1 ITALY
Tunisia 6–0 Fiji
Tuesday 4 November
Ivory Coast 1–4 Switzerland
Brazil 7–0 Honduras
Mexico 1–2 South Korea
Haiti 1–4 Egypt
Germany 1–1 Colombia
England 0–3 Venezuela
North Korea 5–0 El Salvador
Indonesia 1–3 Zambia
Wednesday 5 November
Tajikistan 1–6 Czechia
Panama 1–4 Ireland
Paraguay 1–2 Uzbekistan
Austria 1–0 Saudi Arabia
Mali 3–0 New Zealand
USA 1–0 Burkina Faso
France 2–0 Chile
Canada 2–1 Uganda
Matchday 2 (6–8 November)
Thursday 6 November
Bolivia 0–4 ITALY
Portugal 6–0 Morocco
Japan 0–0 New Caledonia
Argentina 1–0 Tunisia
Fiji 0–7 Belgium
UAE 0–3 Croatia
Qatar 1–1 South Africa
Senegal 1–0 Costa Rica
Friday 7 November
England 8–1 Haiti
El Salvador 0–0 Colombia
Germany 1–1 North Korea
Egypt 1–1 Venezuela
Mexico 1–0 Ivory Coast
Switzerland 0–0 South Korea
Brazil 4–0 Indonesia
Zambia 5–2 Honduras
Saturday 8 November
Czechia 1–2 Burkina Faso
Uganda 1–1 Chile
Mali 0–3 Austria
France 0–0 Canada
USA 2–1 Tajikistan
Paraguay 2–1 Panama
Ireland 2–1 Uzbekistan
Saudi Arabia 3–2 New Zealand
Matchday 3 (9–11 November)
Sunday 9 November
Fiji 0–7 Argentina
Belgium 2–0 Tunisia
Portugal 1–2 Japan
Morocco 16–0 New Caledonia
UAE 0–5 Senegal
Croatia 3–1 Costa Rica
Bolivia 0–0 Qatar
ITALY 3–1 South Africa
GROUP STANDINGS
Group A: ITALY 9, South Africa 4, Qatar 2, Bolivia 1
Group B: Japan 7, Portugal 6, Morocco 3, New Caledonia 1
Group C: Senegal 7 (+6), Croatia 7 (+5), Costa Rica 1 (−3), UAE 1 (−8)
Group D: Argentina 9, Belgium 6, Tunisia 3, Fiji 0
Group E: Egypt 4 (+3), Venezuela 4 (+3), England 3, Haiti 0
Group F: Switzerland 4 (+3), South Korea 4 (+1), Mexico 3, Ivory Coast 0
Group G: North Korea 4, Germany 2 (0), Colombia 2 (0), El Salvador 1
Group H: Brazil 6 (+11), Zambia 6 (+5), Indonesia 0 (−6), Honduras 0 (−10)
Group I: Czechia 3 (+5), USA 3 (+1), Burkina Faso 0 (−1), Tajikistan 0 (−5)
Group J: Ireland 3 (+3), Uzbekistan 3 (+1), Paraguay 0 (−1), Panama 0 (−3)
Group K: France 3 (+2), Canada 3 (+1), Uganda 0 (−1), Chile 0 (−2)
Group L: Mali 3 (+3), Austria 3 (+1), Saudi Arabia 0 (−1), New Zealand 0 (−3)
Monday 10 November
13:30 – Switzerland v Mexico (Aspire Zone, Pitch 3)
13:30 – South Korea v Ivory Coast (Pitch 8)
14:30 – El Salvador v Germany (Pitch 5)
14:30 – Colombia v North Korea (Pitch 1)
15:45 – Zambia v Brazil (Pitch 4)
15:45 – Honduras v Indonesia (Pitch 2)
16:45 – Egypt v England (Pitch 7)
16:45 – Venezuela v Haiti (Pitch 9)
Tuesday 11 November
13:30 – Uganda v France (Pitch 3)
13:30 – Chile v Canada (Pitch 8)
14:30 – Ireland v Paraguay (Pitch 5)
14:30 – Uzbekistan v Panama (Pitch 1)
15:45 – Czechia v USA (Pitch 4)
15:45 – Burkina Faso v Tajikistan (Pitch 2)
16:45 – Saudi Arabia v Mali (Pitch 7)
16:45 – New Zealand v Austria (Pitch 9)
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Round of 32: 14–15 November
Round of 16: 18 November
Quarter-finals: 21 November
Semi-finals: 24 November
Final: 27 November