U20 World Cup: Mali Fall to Serbia, Must Regroup for Final Group Match
Mali suffered their first defeat at the U20 World Cup in New Zealand, falling 2-0 to Serbia on Wednesday. Despite a solid showing in their opening win against Mexico, the Eaglets were outplayed by a determined Serbian side.
Mali’s coach Fanyeri Diarra admitted his team was second best on the day:
“Our opponent was simply stronger. Some of my players were below their usual level. That disappoints me a little. To have a chance of reaching the round of 16, everyone will have to re-motivate themselves. My players have the means to qualify and we will do everything to get there,” he told FIFA.com.
The Serbian team, led by Veljko Paunovic, secured their first victory of the tournament with goals in each half and now look ahead with confidence.
“I’m very happy with Serbia’s first win, but I have to congratulate the Malians, because they played a good match,” Paunovic said.
“Against Mexico, we know we’ll be facing high-quality players. We’ll have to approach this match with great seriousness.”
With all four teams in Group D now tied on three points, Mali will need a positive result in their final group match to keep their qualification hopes alive.
