The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017’s New Delhi leg got off to a flying start with former champions Ghana beating Colombia 1-0 in the opening Group A match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi today. Sadiq Ibrahim’s 39th minute strike proved to be the difference between the two teams. Ghana are former champions and will be among the top contenders for the FIFA U-17 World Cup title. While Colombia next play hosts India on October 9, Ghana will take on the United States of America. Get full football score and full updates of Colombia vs Ghana here. (New Zealand vs Turkey)
19:10 hrs IST: Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Thanks for joining in.
19:05 hrs IST: That was some start to the tournament. While Ghana beat Colombia 1-0, Turkey drew 1-1 against New Zealand.
18:59 hrs IST: But Ghana had more shots on goal and they were the better side while attacking
18:58 hrs IST: That’s it! Full time. Ghana win 1-0. Colombia ended the match with 56% possession.
18:57 hrs IST: It was Issac Gyamfi this time
18:56 hrs IST: Another long range attempt from Ghana.
18:55 hrs IST: Ayiah goes for a shot but it was wide of the goal. The game is almost over
18:54 hrs IST: 2 mins remain in extra time
18:48 hrs IST: Corner for Colombia
18:46 hrs IST: Barrero suffers an injury. Vidal on for him as Colombia look for the equaliser
18:44 hrs IST: That had a chance to score but Danlad Ibrahim has been a wall today!
18:43 hrs IST: Colombia was denied once again by the goalkeeper!
18:41 hrs IST: What a chance for Colombia! Caicedo just had to beat the keeper but the shot was inches away from the target
18:40 hrs IST: Gyamfi has been a great sub for Ghana as he is dictating play in the midfield
18:39 hrs IST: The crowd is gradually increasing at the JLN Stadium and the sound is almost deafening
18:38 hrs IST: Good shot by Gyamfi! But Colombia keeper Kevin Mier was up to the task
18:36 hrs IST: Ghana sub – Issac Gyamfi on for Mohammed Iddriss
18:33 hrs IST: But no card for the Ghana midfielder
18:32 hrs IST: Risky foul by Kudus Mohammed
18:30 hrs IST: The same story! Barrero made a solid run down the left but the final cross was not enough
18:28 hrs IST: Colombia sub – Santiago Barrero on for Deyman Cortes
18:27 hrs IST: The pace of the game has gone down in the last 5 minutes.
18:25 hrs IST: Corner for Colombia
18:24 hrs IST: Etilso Martinez suffered a small injury but he is back on the field for Colombia
18:21 hrs IST: Sadiq Ibrahim has been an absolute star today. He dribbled past two defenders and his pass almost allowed Emmanuel Toku to double their lead
18:18 hrs IST: Both Ghana and Colombia are very pacey teams and as a result, it has been a high tempo game till now
18:17 hrs IST: Colombia are still dominating possession but the lack of crosses is hurting them
18:15 hrs IST: Deiber Caicedo had a good chance to cross but again the final ball was not up to the mark
18:14 hrs IST: Colombians are trying to take long shots but their accuracy has been quite appalling so far
18:12 hrs IST: Kudus Mohammed makes a fine run but again he was denied by the defenders
18:10 hrs IST: The Colombian defenders were caught napping by Sadiq Ibrahim but the cross could not find anyone. Ghana still lead 1-0
18:08 hrs IST: Long range effort by Andres perea of Colombia, but the ball was nowhere near the target
18:06 hrs IST: Second half is underway!
17:53 hrs IST: Take a break! We will be back in some time
17:52 hrs IST: Colombia had 59% possession but Ghana was the better team
17:51 hrs IST: Half-time! Ghana 1 Colombia 0!
17:50 hrs IST: Aminu Mohammed dribbled past two defenders but was unable to provide the cross
17:48 hrs IST: Corner for Ghana!
17:47 hrs IST: Eric Ayiah has a small niggle and is trying to shake it off in the sidelines
17:46 hrs IST: 2 minutes additional time!
17:45 hrs IST: There is a sense of urgency in the Colombian forwards and they are trying their level best to provide the final ball
17:43 hrs IST: Ghana have been favouring the left flank for attacking and their goal also came from that side
17:41 hrs IST: Eric Ayiah provided a brilliant cross and Ibrahim made no mistake to hand his team the advantage
17:40 hrs IST: Goal! Sadiq Ibrahim! Ghana lead 1-0!
17:38 hrs IST: Thomas Gutierrez is leading from the front as the Colombian captain produces a brilliant last man tackle
17:37 hrs IST: An unnecessary foul on Robert Mejia and the Colombians are trying to play short passes among themselves to create momentum
17:35 hrs IST: But Ghana are easily the dominant side till now
17:30 hrs IST: Colombia is trying to attack through the wings.
17:28 hrs IST: Sadiq Ibrahim finds the back of the net! But it is offside!! Tough luck for Ghana!
17:26 hrs IST: Best chance of the game so far. Sadiq Ibrahim had a free header, but was unable to find the target
17:24 hrs IST: Meanwhile Turkey have scored the first goal of the FIFA U-17 World Cup with Ahmed Kutucu scoring against New Zealand
17:22 hrs IST: Second corner of the game for Ghana. Good cross but the Colombian keeper was able to punch it away
17:19 hrs IST: Another counter attack by Colombia. Deyman Corrtes provided an inch perfect pass to Campaz, but Danlad Ibrahim was once again the hero for Ghana
17:18 hrs IST: Within moments of that attack, Colombia had their first chance of the game but Leandro Campaz missed the goal by a whisker
17:17 hrs IST: End to end stuff! Ghana were denied by Colombian keeper Kevin Mier’s brilliant save.
17:14 hrs IST: The Colombians are playing a very high line in the defence and Ghana can take advantage of that with their three forwards
17:10 hrs IST: A good effort by Robert Mejia of Colombia but it ended it up being an easy save for Danlad Ibrahim
17:08 hrs IST: Aminu Mohammed had a great chance to prove a killer pass, but the Colombian defender was up to the task. It is all Ghana at the moment.
17:07 hrs IST: First chance for Ghana but the long range shot by Sadiq Ibrahim missed the goal by some margin
17:05 hrs IST: Colombia are trying to slow down the tempo with small passes between the defenders
17:02 hrs IST: The Ghana team forms a huddle and disperses with a war cry. Beautiful passing by the Ghana midfielders as they look to attack from the very first minute
17:00 hrs IST: And we are underway!
16:58 hrs IST: The national anthems were followed by a loud cheer. We are moments away from a truly historic moment .
16:57 hrs IST: The teams are entering the stadium to massive cheers. The streets outside the stadium were filled with enthusiastic fans and we can expect a full house when India play later in the day
16:53 hrs IST: Colombia mascots entering the stadium now, carrying flags. Ghana mascots also entered.
16:50 hrs IST: Many empty seats, but the stadium is gradually getting fuller. Lots of cheering already. Mascots entering with FIFA logo and FIFA U-17 World Cup logo at the centre.
16:45 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to the live blog of the first match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup
Colombia, despite being considered heavyweights of Latin American football, have never won a World Cup at either U-17 or senior level.
The Colombia FIFA U-17 World Cup team have reached the semi-finals of the tournament twice, losing the third place play-off to Argentina in 2003 and Spain in 2009.
hindustan times
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