5 days ago
Samoa Drawn Against Some Of Women's Football's Strongest Nations For Historic 1st FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Appearance
Samoa will make history this October as they compete in their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup™ following the official draw in Rabat, Morocco.
Samoa who finished runners up to New Zealand at last year's OFC U-16 Women's Championship, has been drawn in Group D alongside women's football powerhouses Canada, France, and Nigeria – an exciting and challenging assignment for the Pacific Island nation in their debut appearance on the world stage.
New Zealand has been drawn in Group F and will play Japan, Paraguay, and Zambia.
The draw, held at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, revealed the group-stage matchups for the 24 qualified nations taking part in the tournament, which will run from 17 October to 8 November in the Moroccan capital.
This year's edition of the tournament is groundbreaking on multiple fronts. It marks the first time the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will feature 24 teams, up from 16, and it is also the first-ever FIFA women's tournament to be held on African soil.
FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer, Sarai Bareman – who herself has strong Samoan roots and once captained the Samoa national women's team, featured in the draw ceremony.
Samoa's historic qualification was sealed with a memorable performance at the OFC U-16 Women's Championship in Tahiti, earning their place among the world's best. The tournament now presents an unprecedented opportunity for the young squad to represent their country, region, and culture on the global stage.
