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| The youngest squad at the FIFA under 17 WC in Chile |
The
stage is set for the sixteenth edition of the Fifa U17 World Cup with all the participating teams submitting their final list for the championship.With an average age of just 16.42 years, Nigeria are taking the youngest panel of players to the championship in which they have won four timel.
Despite placing fourth at the African U17 Championship, coach Emmanuel Amuneke has kept faith in majority of the players that played in Niger Republic – with Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen leading the pack.
Germany, on the other hand, have the oldest squad, with an average age of 17.0 years, just ahead of Russia, Belgium and Mexico.
| Average age of each 2015 U17 World Cup squad |
| Team | Youngest player | Oldest player | Average age |
| Argentina | Luis Olivera (16) | Marcos Peano(17) | 16.8 |
| Chile | Macelo Allende (16) | Yerko Leiva (17) | 16.6 |
| Croatia | Matej Hudećek (16) | Adrian Šemper (17) | 16.9 |
| Nigeria | Edidiong Essien (15) | Orji Okwonkwo (17) | 16.42 |
| USA | Tyler Adam (16) | Joe Gallardo (17) | 16.9 |
| Brazil | Léo Santos (16) | Leandro (17) | 16.9 |
| England | Herbie Kane (16) | Chris Willock (17) | 16.8 |
| South Korea | Kim Jung-min (15) | Lee Sang-min (17) | 16.8 |
| Australia | James Delianov (15) | Josh Hope (17) | 16.6 |
| Mexico | Edwin Lara (16) | Fernando Hernández (17) | 16.9 |
| Belgium | Dante Rigo (16) | Ismail Azzaoui (17) | 16.9 |
| Ecuador | Byron Castillo (16) | Jhonner Montezuma (17) | 16.9 |
| Costa Rica | Miguel Aju (15) | Ian Smith (17) | 16.8 |
| Germany | Dominik Franke (17) | Salih Özcan (17) | 17.0 |
| Honduras | Javier Delgado (16) | Darixon Vuelto (17) | 16.6 |
| North Korea | Pak Yong-gwan (16) | Jong Ju-song (17) | 16.6 |
| Russia | Andrei Kudriavtchev (16) | Nikolay Prudnikov | 16.9 |
| France | Dayot Upamecano (16) | Jeff Reine-Adelaïde (17) | 16.6 |
| Mali | Fofana Mamadou (15) | Zoumana Simpara (17) | 16.43 |
| Syria | Mohammed Khoja (16) | Hassan Damen (17) | 16.8 |
| Paraguay | Ricardo Gabazza (16) | Blas Riveros (17) | 16.8 |
| New Zealand | Wali Mohammadi (16) | Oliver Ceci (17) | 16.6 |
| South Africa | Wiseman Meyiwa (15) | Nelson Maluleke (17) | 16.7 |
| Guinea | Alhassane Soumah (15) | Jules Keita (17) | 16.7 |
Hosts Chile have gone for a mix of players between 16 – 17 years as coach Miguel Ponce has included 13 players who are 17, while Macelo Allende, Simón Ramírez and Luis Ureta bring the average down to 16.6.
The award for tallest player at the 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup goes to New Zealand defender Hunter Ashworth, towering above him at 195cm. Should the 17-year-old man be at his best in Chile, chances are that he might just stop all the attacking forays of opposing strikers.
Guinea’s midfielder Karim Conte is the shortest player in the competition at 140 cm.
Heading into prestigious competition, some teams have adopted a more youthful approach than others while most have gone for a blend of ages. After the final on November 8 at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina Del Mar, we will see which approach works best.
Source: Goal
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