uefa.com ready for UAE
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Article summary
uefa.com will bring you all the news from the FIFA World Youth Championship.
Article body
The FIFA World Youth Championship, which was postponed in March due to the threat of war in the Persian Gulf region, gets under way a week today in the United Arab Emirates and will run until 19 December.
Full coverage
uefa.com will bring you full coverage of the European challenge at the event, with previews, features, photographs and daily news reports from the UAE.
Spain in Group B
European interest is certain to be strong in Spain, who qualified for the tournament by winning the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, and have drawn reigning world and South American champions Argentina as well as Uzbekistan and Mali in Group B.
Eagerly awaited match
Argentina won the 2001 World Youth Championship by beating Ghana 3-0 in the final. In doing so they deposed Spain, who won the 1999 championship in Nigeria with a 4-0 triumph against Japan. The Group B match between the last two countries to lift the trophy will take place on 28 November in Sharjah.
Hope for Slovakia
Germany, beaten by Spain in the 2002 European U19 final in Oslo, have been placed in a competitive Group F section alongside Paraguay, United States and the Korean Republic. Meanwhile Slovakia, the surprise package at last year's U19 event, will be hopeful of advancing from Group A, which also contains hosts United Arab Emirates, Panama and Burkina Faso. The Slovakians will have the honour of taking part in the opening game of the tournament against the hosts in Abu Dhabi on 27 November.
Other European sides
Republic of Ireland, who finished third in this tournament in 1997, will face Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Côte d'Ivoire in Group E while Czech Republic are alongside Brazil, Canada and Australia in Group C. England are in the potentially tight Group D which also includes Colombia, Egypt and Japan.
Tournament dates
The first two sides in each group will reach the last 16, with a further four third-placed sides also progressing. The final takes place on 19 December in Abu Dhabi.
2003 FIFA World Youth Championship draw
(NB: European sides in bold)
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