Souleymane Coulibaly
Tottenham are reportedly set to storm Italy in a desperate bid to secure the services of Souleymane Coulibaly - the sensational teenage
Cote d'Ivoire striker that shook the
U-17 World Cup recently with nine goals in four games.
A
Daily Mirror report claims that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has teed up a stunning two million pounds deal for the 16-year-old striker seen as the 'new Didier Drogba' because of his explosive power, shooting and finishing.
The London side are even prepared to give him a squad number and promote him to the first team in a bid to shake off rival bids, especially from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Souleymane Coulibaly
Young Siena striker Souleymane Coulibaly has expressed his delight at the interest shown in him by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, and stressed his desire to play at the highest level.
The 16-year-old is considered to be one of the most promising emerging talents in European football and has been nicknamed 'the new Drogba', after the explosive Chelsea frontman.
A report in June suggested that Madrid are keeping tabs on the African, and the forward appears keen to move to Santiago Bernabeu.
"Hearing that Jose Mourinho is interested in you is like going to Disneyland when you're a six-year-old. It is like living in a land of dreams," Coulibaly was quoted as saying by Sky Sport Italia.
Jean Thome and Mory Koné
Yassine Benzia was the hero on Thursday evening for France as they stormed back to beat
Côte d'Ivoire 3-2 at the Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro. Two goals behind inside 25 minutes, Benzia scored a brace and set up another as
Les Bleus overcame an impressive performance by the west Africans and another goal from Souleymane Coulibaly.
Having won the rainy battle, the Europeans move on to face hosts Mexico in the quarter-final on 4 July in Pachuca, while disappointed Côte d'Ivoire join the rest of the tournament’s African contingent on their way home. But so well did the Ivorians start the match that it was hard to begrudge them their fortuitous opener in just the third minute.
Two teams in contrasting form will lock horns at the Estadio Corregidora on Thursday, with a berth in the
FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 quarter-finals on offer for the victors. That will surely focus minds in both camps, but while France will head into the tussle low on confidence, their opponents
Côte d'Ivoire have built up good momentum.
Kick-OffEstadio Corregidora, Queretaro, Thursday 30 June, 18.00 (local time, GMT - 5:00)The stakesThe competition could hardly have got off to a better start for France, but since dispatching Argentina 3-0 their performance levels have dropped.
M. Moreira battles with Ngakosso of Congo
The Uruguayans came back from a goal down to beat African outfit
Congo 2-1 in the round of 16 at the Estadio Morelos in Morelia on Wednesday. The South American side will now move on to the quarter-
final stages of the
FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011, where they will take on Asian first-timers Uzbekistan, who routed Australia earlier in the day.
Uruguay began the game pushing four players up into the Congo half in the hopes of keeping the Africans from creating and building chances with the ball. The plan worked for a time, and the Congolese patiently waited in hopes of hitting out on the counter-attack. They managed the first chance of any note after five minutes, when Bel Epako fired in a shot from distance that was well handled by Jonathan Cubero.
Congo’s round-of-16 tie with Uruguay at the Estadio Morelos in Morelia has an intriguing look about it. Both sides finished runners-up in their groups behind unbeaten teams who inflicted their only defeats on them so far.
Kick-OffWednesday 29 June, Estadio Morelos, Morelia, 18.00 (local time, GMT - 5:00)The stakesThe attack-minded Red Devils displayed great athleticism in their three group games, ending the first round with a mature performance against Korea DPR, laced with some fine possession football.
I. Bah, S. Coulibaly, J. Kouassi
“It’s great that people are saying he’s the star of the tournament, but for me the real stars are the team. They’re the ones who make the difference, just as they’ve done here against Brazil.”
Those words were uttered by
Côte d’Ivoire coach Alain Gouamene in the press conference that followed his side’s 3-3 draw with the Brazilians in their final game in Group F at the
FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011.
And at this stage of the competition it is not hard to guess that the “he” Gouamene was referring to was Souleymane Coulibaly, the player who has scored each and every one of the Elephants’ eight goals in the competition so far.
Souleymane Coulibaly
Brazil and
Côte d’Ivoire shared the spoils in a 3-3 thriller in Guadalajara that saw
U-17 World Cup ace Souleymane Coulibaly notch three more goals and both sides through to the last 16. The South Americans finish Group F in first place and the identity of second and third will only be known tomorrow, when Australia and Denmark replay their game which had to be postponed due to serious weather around the stadium in Queretaro.
Coach Emerson Avila made four changes to his usual starting XI, and his new-look Brazil wasted no time getting on the board. After some opening exchanges that showed the true quality of the two participating teams, the South Americans drew first blood. On a quick break, Sao Paulo partners Ademilson and Lucas Piazon combined to score after only eight minutes. Ademilson fed the ball in well for Lucas Piazon, who made no mistake with his cool finish.
Rashade Sido and Cristian Ramirez
Ecuador booked their passage to the round of 16 here at the
FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico with a simple 2-0 victory over despairing African champions
Burkina Faso, who now head for home at the first hurdle without a point or a goal to show for their efforts.
A prolific second half from the South Americans made the difference in Guadalajara as Group E finishes with Germany in first place, Ecuador through in second and Panama booking passage as one of the best third-place finishers in their first-ever FIFA U-17 finals.
There were no goals in an uninspired opening period, played at a slow tempo and without very many chances on goal or inspiring passages.
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