Six more teams have qualified to compete with New Zealand at May’s FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Indonesia — but Australia have blown their hopes of qualifying.
Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia earned qualification by filling the semi-final spots at the African U-20 Cup of Nations, completed this weekend.
In the Asian U-20 Cup, Iraq qualified for the World Cup but Australia’s hopes were wrecked when Uzbekistan beat them 5-4 in a penalty shootout.
That brings to 22 the number of nations that have booked their places at the Indonesia tournament, with only two more to be filled.
Of the latest qualifiers, Nigeria are the best-credentialled with 12 previous World Cup appearances, and having been runners-up twice.
Past winners Brazil, England and France have also qualified for the tournament, as well as the well-resourced United States team who will make their 17th appearance at the tournament.
Brazil have won the U-20 trophy five times, and are among the latest teams to qualify for the tournament with the completion of the South American U-20 Championship on February 13 (NZT).
Joining Brazil as South American qualifiers are Colombia, Uruguay and Ecuador, who needed a 2-1 win against Paraguay to take the last spot.
New Zealand qualified for the tournament by reaching the final of September’s OFC U-19 Championship in Tahiti, which they won.
Main photo: New Zealand celebrate their qualification for the U-20 World Cup in Indonesia. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Runners-up Fiji qualify as OFC’s second nation.
The European qualifiers came from the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, held in Slovakia over the northern summer.
The last two remaining places will be filled by Monday when the AFC U-20 Asian Cup finds its remaining semi-finalists.
The U-20 World Cup runs from May 20 to June 11, 2023.
Qualified
- Indonesia (host)
- Dominican Republic (CONCACAF)
- Guatemala (CONCACAF)
- Honduras (CONCACAF)
- United States (CONCACAF)
- Fiji (OFC)
- New Zealand (OFC)
- England (UEFA)
- France (UEFA)
- Italy (UEFA)
- Israel (UEFA)
- Slovakia (UEFA)
- Brazil (CONMEBOL)
- Colombia (CONMEBOL)
- Ecuador (CONMEBOL)
- Uruguay (CONMEBOL)
- Gambia (CAF)
- Nigeria (CAF)
- Senegal (CAF)
- Tunisia (CAF)
- Iraq (AFC)
- Uzbekistan (AFC)
Still to qualify
Two teams to qualify from Asia through the U-20 Asian Cup, when the semi-finalists are identified on Monday March 13 NZT).
The two last qualifiers will be;
- South Korea or China
- Japan or Jordan
Tournament draw
New Zealand will learn their group opponents when the tournament draw is made in Jakarta in March.
READ MORE: Our coverage of the OFC U-19 Championship >>>>
