Côte d’Ivoire U-17 head coach Bassiriki Diabate has acknowledged a “difficult group” for his side at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
Following the May 25 draw in Doha, the Elephants find themselves in Group F with Mexico, Korea Republic, and Switzerland.
Diabate highlighted the challenge of facing teams from three different continents, noting, “It’s quite a diverse group with some very strong teams, which will make this competition quite challenging for us.”
Despite the diverse playing styles and strong opposition, Diabate sees the tournament as a significant learning and testing opportunity for his squad, who qualified after a strong performance at the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mexico is a two-time U-17 World Cup winner, Korea Republic is known for technical discipline, and Switzerland for organized play.
“Our objective is to compete, grow, and show that Ivorian football has a bright future,” Diabate stated, expressing confidence in his team’s ability to compete at the highest level.
Côte d’Ivoire will open their Group F campaign when the tournament begins on November 3 in Qatar.
