AFCON 2025
From Italy’s ruthless duo to China PR’s five-star command and a Dutch win soaked in chaos, the early action in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup delivered both control and drama, hinting at a tournament ready to explode into life.
Italy 3–0 Costa Rica
Italy opened Group A with a comfortable win driven by Giulia Galli and Anna Copelli. Just before half-time, Copelli lofted a cross that Galli headed in. After the break, Galli returned the favour with a through ball for Copelli to finish low. The duo combined once more late on, with Copelli cutting through the defence and setting up Galli to seal the result.
Cameroon 3–4 Netherlands
A thrilling seven-goal contest saw the Netherlands edge Cameroon. Liv Pennock scored inside two minutes, and Rochelity Dap added another after a defensive lapse. Cameroon hit back through Divine Ntsongo, but Tess Van Der Vliet and Lys Tiwa traded goals to make it 3–2 at the break. Yolande Zoua struck a stunning equaliser, only for Aymee Altena to tap in the late Dutch winner.
USA 3–0 Ecuador
The USA dominated the first half to secure the points. Meila Brewer powered in a header from a corner, before a deflected effort off the Ecuador goalkeeper left Nyanya Touray with a tap-in. Just before half-time, Lauren Malsom finished off a neat flick. The Americans controlled the second half without fuss to close out the win.
China PR 5–0 Norway
China PR brushed aside Norway with a clinical performance. Chen Ruilin opened the scoring with a free-kick, and Zhou Xinyi doubled the lead from the spot before half-time. Xinyi struck again after the restart, then set up Fang Zhenzhu for the fourth. Zhenzhu completed the scoring with another composed finish late on.
Korea DPR 2–0 Mexico
Korea DPR began their title defence with a straightforward win. Yu Jong-hyang sprinted clear early to score the opener. Mexico tested the defence briefly, but Kim Won-sim added a composed second to give the champions full control. They saw out the match with little difficulty to start strongly.
