Third at the U17 World Cup, Mali ended the competition with two individual awards following their final victory over Germany on Saturday, December 2, 2023. Hamidou Makalou won the silver ball and Ibrahim Diarra the silver shoe.
At the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, Mali impressed with their attractive team spirit and talented individuals.Silver medallists in this competition after their victory over Argentina (3-0), the Aiglonnets dazzled by their ease of scoring with 18 goals scored. Only the Argentinians did better. But beyond this collective machine, what left its mark forever was the individuality of the players.
According to some observers, Hamidou Makalou had every reason to be the best player of the U17 World Cup. But FIFA decided otherwise, awarding the competition's best player prize to Germany's Paris Brunner. With 2 goals and 1 assist, the Malian midfielder's talent and all-round ability shone through. In the end, he was named 2nd best player with his Silver Ball award. He is ahead of France's Mathis Amougou.
Silver Shoe for Ibrahim Diarra
With 5 goals and 4 assists, Ibrahim Diarra was the most decisive player at this U17 World Cup. The Malian winger either scored or set up in every match he played in, with the exception of the clash with Spain. Ibrahim Diarra had every right to be one of the tournament's top players, but he inherited the Silver Shoe award for top scorer. He finished behind Argentina's Agustin Ruberto and ahead of Claudio Echeverri.
The captain of the Aiglonnets and resident of the Africa Foot Academy will be joining FC Barcelona when he comes of age. The Catalan club has placed its faith in this young talent, who will certainly be making a name for himself in the future.
