Mali defeated Argentina 3-0 on Friday to finish third in this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup at the Manahan stadium in Indonesia.
Ibrahim Diarra, who had scored against France in the semifinal, opened the scoring in the ninth minute, and Mamadou Doumbia doubled the lead on the stroke of halftime with a clinical header.
Despite Argentina’s best efforts after the restart, Hamidou Makalou’s strike effectively ended the game within three minutes.
The Albiceleste, who had raised eyebrows earlier in the tournament after a commanding win over arch-rival Brazil, finished fourth for the third time in tournament history (2001, 2013, 2023).
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Mali, who were the runner-up of the 2015 edition, won five of their seven games and scored 18 goals in the tounamenet.
Meanwhile, France and Germany will tomorrow clash in the final for the first prize at Manahan at 2pm CAT.
