The FIFA U-20 World Cup is just around the corner and the participating countries are gearing up for the upcoming matches. The recent change in venue from Indonesia to Argentina has brought a new twist to the tournament. Fiji and New Zealand, two of the participating nations, have now got to know their opponents in the tournament.
New Zealand finds itself drawn in Group A alongside Argentina, the hosts, Guatemala, and Uzbekistan. The Kiwis will open their campaign against Guatemala on May 20th. The draw puts them in a challenging group, with Argentina being one of the favourites to lift the trophy. However, New Zealand has a good record in youth tournaments, having reached the round of 16 in the previous edition of the U-20 World Cup in Poland. They will look to build on their previous successes and aim to make it to the knockout stages.
Fiji, on the other hand, is placed in Group B alongside United States, Ecuador and Slovakia. They face Slovakia in their opening match on the same day as New Zealand. Fiji is the underdog in the group and will need to put up a strong performance if they hope to make it through to the knockout stages. The team is relatively inexperienced in international tournaments, having only qualified for the U-20 World Cup for the second time in their history.
The change in venue from Indonesia to Argentina has brought about its own set of challenges for the teams. The climate and time difference will be a factor for the participating teams. However, with the tournament being held in South America, it provides an opportunity for the teams to showcase their talents in front of a football-crazy audience.
FIFA U-20 World Cup is set to be an exciting tournament – a great opportunity for a rare exposure of OFC to international football. The change in venue has brought about a new challenge for the teams, but it also provides an opportunity for them to showcase their talents on the big stage. All eyes will be on the teams as they gear up for the opening matches on May 20th.
Oceania Football Center 