As it stands, the FIFA U-17 and U-20 competitions are played every 2 years with 24 teams for the men and 16 teams for the women’ editions.

FIFA will now consider merging the two competitions with the men’s tournament increased to 48 teams and the women’s to 24, to be played every year instead of biennially.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the idea will be debated and discussed further by FIFA and will come into effect from 2020 if approved.

“The idea would be to have an increased number of participants to 48 for the boys and 24 for the women. And instead of having an U-17 and an U-20, we would now have one age category competition which could be U-18 or an U-19 that will be played on an annual basis instead of every two years,” Gianni Infantino said at a press briefing after the FIFA Council meeting in Kolkata, India where the FIFA U-17 World Cup is currently taking place.

Infantino also revealed that FIFA will consider co-hosting for the proposed new format to give smaller associations the ability to still be able to bid for hosting rights.

“Of course with such high number of teams, we’re looking at co-hosting in order to give the possibility to smaller associations around the world to be able to host the competition together with others,” he said.

Spain and England are set to contest the FIFA U-17 World Cup final on Saturday.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Danso was largely used as a super sub throughout the tournament, and came on to score twice against both Niger and India.

There were many calls for the WAFA youngster to be given a starting role in the side but Fabin, in an interview with Accra-based Happy FM, revealed that the forward had suspected heart issues which prevented him from taking the risk of starting him.

“During one of our training sessions in Dubai before the tournament, he walked off complaining of heart pains so we were very cautious in our approach towards him.

“He doesn’t have the stamina to last 90 minutes and we were not prepared to take risk,” he said.

The Starlets fell at the quarter-final stage at the hands of rivals Mali to end their hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time since 1995.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The result follows victory over their West African rivals in this year’s CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations final and moves them into a last-four meeting with either Iran or Spain in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.

In very wet weather at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, both sides did well to play through the conditions, with Mali dominating to opening half.

The Eaglets took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, as Hadji Drame broke in on the Ghanaian goal before putting his shot past Black Starlets goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim for his third goal of the tournament.

Ghana then had the ball in the opposite net just before half-time, however Ibrahim Sulley’s effort was disallowed for a foul by team-mate Kudus Mohammed in the build-up.

Just after the hour mark, Mali scored their winner through Djemoussa Traore.

He beat the back-tracking Danlad Ibrahim with a long-range effort after the Ghana goalkeeper misjudged his rush off his goalline to make an attempted clearance outside his box.

With 20 minutes to go, Ghana halved the deficit through a Mohammed penalty after substitute Sadiq Ibrahim was fouled in the Mali box but, in the end, the Eaglets held on to secure a second appearance in the last four at a U-17 World Cup in as many tournaments.

Their only disappointment is a suspension to Mali captain Mohamed Camara for the semi-finals through the accumulation of yellow cards.

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Source: FIFA

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Ghana dominated the first half, creating 13 attempts to Niger’s lone effort. The West Africans created the first chance on 25 minutes, as Edmund Arko-Mensah’s powerful strike produced a top save from Niger goalkeeper Khaled Lawali.

The Ghanaians had to wait until first-half stoppage time to finally break through, as they were awarded a penalty after Eric Ayiah was cut down in the Niger box by Farouk Idrissa. The Ghana captain stepped up to convert the spot-kick for his third goal of the tournament.

The Black Starlets kept pressing forward after the break, with Gideon Mensah missing a great opportunity to double Ghana’s lead from close range. Ayiah could have had a second penalty goal after Idrissa fouled Emmanuel Toku in the Niger box, but Lawali was equal to his spot-kick effort.

The second goal would arrive in the final moments, as substitute Richard Danso’s strike proved too strong for Lawali to keep out of his net, as Ghana capped a convincing performance at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium.

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Source: FIFA

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The Starlets needed to win to be sure of a place in the second round, but their great start to the match was not rewarded with goals as their usual trait of wayward finishing kept appearing as the half wore on.

However, captain Eric Ayiah found his scoring boots and opened his account in the 43rd minute, with a shot he smashed into the roof of the net after a cross from the right was spilled by the Indian goalie.

Ayiah made it two for himself, and for Ghana in the 52nd minute, when he swept home a cross from the left wing from left-back Rashid Alhassan.

Paa Kwesi Fabin, Ghana coach, made some changes, and two of the players who were introduced, Richard Danso and Emmanuel Toku, grabbed the third and fourth goals respectively.

Danso was put through on goal, and he held his nerve to finish the chance, while Toku was alive to shot that went off the post, and he tucked home the rebound.

The Starlets made it to the second round of the tournament as Group A winners with 6 points, with Colombia and the USA finishing second and third respectively also on 6 points.

Colombia got second place due to their superior head-to-head record against the USA, after they tied even on goals scored and goals difference.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Starlets were undone by a 75th-minute goal from Ayo Akinola after they failed to put away the numerous chances created on the day.

The victory sends the Americans through to the second round while Ghana need to defeat hosts India on Thursday and hope for a favourable result between the USA and Colombia to progress as the second-placed team in the group.

Speaking to the team after the match, H.E. Ocquaye Jnr, urged the players to bounce back from the loss and he also shared his thoughts on what he felt went against the team.

“Things are not lost for you. I know a lot of teams which lost their first match in a World Cup and went on to win it ultimately. Spain is an example. You did not lose your first match so just keep working hard.

Usually, Ghana plays well against a tough team and Colombia is the toughest team in the group and you beat them. But somehow, there is a perception that we always beat the USA and that exists even among our senior team.

The word is complacency and it showed in the first half. In the second, you played excellently but against the run of play, you conceded the goal. You have done well but this is a big lesson.”

Ghana is hoping to excel in the U-17 World Cup ten years after its last appearance when the tournament was played n South Korea.

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Forwards Emmanuel Toku, and Sadiq Ibrahim all failed to put their chances away during the match and they paid the ultimate prize when Ayo Akinola scored for the Americans in the 75th minute.

Many observers of the team had spoken about the team’s inconsistencies in attack before the tournament and Fabin admitted that the players could not replicate the lessons in goal scoring from training and that cost them the match.

“After the last match, we worked on scoring and we went through drills before this match. We have to keep working on scoring so we get our act together.

We had so many chances and we blew them and at this level, you will get punished if you do not put the chances away.”

The result has put Ghana in 3rd place in Group A ahead of the final group match with India on Thursday at 2:30 pm Ghana time.

The Starlets are on 3 points together with Colombia who beat India 2-1 on Monday. Ghana will have to beat India and hope Colombia fails to win against the USA for them to make it second place.

Ghana could still make it to the second round of the tournament of the four best third-placed teams.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Americans dominated the opening stages of the game and went close to taking the lead on a couple of occasions but were denied by Starlets goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad.

Ghana grew into the game and produced some scintillating spells with only the finishing letting the down.

Starlets’ Emmanuel Toku had what was arguably the chance of the game when he fired off target from 6 yards after being put through on goal by Ibrahim Sadiq on 51 minutes.

Substitute Ayo Akinola punished the Starlets wastefulness when he finished coolly on 75 minutes in what was the game’s winning goal.

The defeat leaves Ghana on 3 points after two games with the team set to face India in the last group game on Thursday.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The goal was scored by Sadiq Ibrahim in the 39th minute. He met captain Eric Ayiah’s low cross from the left.

The Starlets started brightly and felt comfortable by the mid-point of the first half, when they started to find spaces down the flanks.

But the Colombians also got into a good rhythm and even before going down to the Ghana goal, they went close twice. However, they could not convert their opportunities.

The second half was played at a lower tempo, but it was laced with chances for the two sides. Ayiah was put through, but the Colombian defence managed to clear the danger.

A Colombian cross was missed by Ghana goalie Ibrahim Danlad, but the South Americans could not take advantage.

After 96 minutes of play, the referee ended the match for Ghana to celebrate their first victory of the tournament.

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By: Citi Sports

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The team will open the tournament with a match against fellow Group side, Colombia, in the Indian capital and the 21 players were put through several drills by coach Paa Kwesi Fabin to get them started three days to the game.

Before the session, the team (players, technical team and management team) met Ghana’s High Commissioner to India, Mike Ocquaye Jnr, who welcomed them to the country.

He assured them of the assistance of the Ghana mission in India and urged the players to give their best in the tournament.

On his part, head coach of the Starlets team, Paa Kwesi Fabin, thanked HE Mike Ocquaye Jnr for being around to welcome the team and said that he and the players would do all it took to win the tournament.

Ghana’s run in the group stage will see it face Colombia on October 6, USA on October 9 and hosts, India on October 12.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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