FIFA U20 World Cup: History made as all four African teams reach knock-out stage

History was made Sunday when all four African teams at the FIFA U20 World Cup - Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Mali – made it to the knockout stage of the competition for the first time ever.

Interestingly, it will be an all-African clash on Wednesday, when Ghana face Mali in Wellington.

Ghana, the first and only team from Africa to win this competition in 2009, lost 1-0 to Mali in the group stage of the African Youth Championship in Senegal in March, before they avenged this defeat by beating their West African rivals to finish third in the same tournament.

This fixture means that at least an African team are guaranteed a place in the last eight of this tournament.

African champions Nigeria will take on the champions of Europe Germany on Thursday in Christchurch after the Flying Eagles finished second in Group E behind Brazil.

Senegal, hosts and runners-up at the 2015 AYC, also made it to the knockout rounds after they finished as one of the “third best losers” and they will now tackle Ukraine in Auckland on Wednesday.