Against the odds, Mali beat Argentina on penalties to qualify for the quarter-finals where they’ll now face Italy’s Under-20 National Team. In a dramatic affair that pushed both teams to the edge of their physical capabilities, the South American side initially took the lead through Gaich in the 49th minute before Diaby equalised for Mali soon after. Diaby found the back of the net once again in the first minute of extra-time, although unfortunately scoring at the wrong to put Argentina back in front. However, Boubacar Konte ensured that the game went to penalties in the 121st minute, as he scored to make it 2-2. Mali then triumphed from the spot, progressing through to the quarters after winning 5-4.

After watching the match closely, Paolo Nicolato was impressed with how the African outfit performed: “You need to be strong to beat Argentina,” said the Azzurrini Coach. “They’re African Champions, and they’ve scored in this tournament thanks to a combination of skill and physicality. They know how to battle and threaten on the counter-attack, therefore, we must prepare for what will be a really tough game.”

This wasn’t the only result to surprise supporters, as the USA also beat France 3-2

Quarter-finals

Friday 7 June

Colombia-Ukraine (15:30 CEST, Lodz Stadium)

Italy- Mali (18:30, Katowice Stadium)

Saturday 8 June

Usa-Ecuador (17:30, Gdynia Stadium)

Korea Republic -Senegal (20:30, Bielsko Biala Stadium)