Ghana end hosts India's hopes
Colombia leapfrog USA into second place in Group A
Mali finish runners-up to Paraguay, who stay perfect
DAY REPLAYED - While the hosts bowed out, Colombia, Ghana and Mali all collected impressive victories on day seven of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 to add their names to the list of teams that are through to the knockout stage.
It was Ghana who quashed India's dreams, outclassing the home nation in New Delhi to seal top spot in Group A on goal difference.
Elsewhere in that section, Colombia overcame USA to claim second place based on their superior head-to-head record, with the two teams having finished level on points, goal difference and goals scored. The Stars and Stripes were already assured of a berth in the next round and progress as one of the best third-placed sides.
Paraguay, for their part, maintained their 100 per cent record in Group B, and in the process, eliminated Turkey from the competition. They are joined in the knockout stage by Mali, the beaten finalists last time out, who eased past New Zealand. The Oceanians are not quite out of contention yet, but require a real miracle to advance.
The games Group A Ghana 4–0 India USA 1–3 Colombia
Group B Turkey 1–3 Paraguay Mali 3–1 New Zealand
Moment of the day
What we learned A rousing send-off For just the second time in the past five editions, the hosts failed to make it out of the group stage. Nevertheless, the local lads departed to the soundtrack of a hearty round of applause from the crowd in New Delhi, who paid a fitting tribute to their trailblazing team's efforts.
Steady does it for N'Diaye They say that slow and steady wins the race and Lassana N'Diaye might just prove the old adage right. Despite somewhat flying under the radar, the 17-year-old Mali forward has put himself in the running for the adidas Golden Boot with a goal in each of his team's games so far. His next opponents are sure to be wary of him continuing his streak.
The stat of the day 7 - Paraguay's ten goals in the group stage were shared between no fewer than seven different players, which illustrates the wealth of attacking options at their disposal. Antonio Galeano, Alan Rodriguez and Anibal Vega have all bagged twice, while Blas Aroma, Giovanni Bogado, Fernando Cardozo and Leonardo Sanchez have weighed in with a strike apiece.
The quote"After our second goal, we were looking dominant and well organised, and we were imposing our game. We knew that if we scored another one, we would finish higher up, which is why we kept going forward. Eventually, we were able to get a third goal and come away with a wonderful result." Colombia coach Carlos Restrepo