Coaches proud of how far U20 team has come

After being put in one of the toughest groups in the Asian Football Confederation U20 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers, the NMI U20 Men’s National Soccer Team put it all out on the pitch, played their hearts out, and made their coaches proud with how far they’ve come.

They dropped all four matches, with the fourth and final loss against Lebanon, 0-8, last Saturday. Last Thursday, the NMI team succumbed to powerhouse South Korea, 0-10.

To begin their campaign, they went up against host Kuwait and lost, 0-6, last Sep. 22, and then were also blanked by the United Arab Emirates, 0-13.

In their game against Lebanon, the NMI’s defense was no match to the speedy Lebanese. Ali Fakieh opened the game up in the 15th, then quickly made it 0-2 just two minutes later. Hassan Nasser put them up, 3-0 before the half-hour mark, then Fakieh found the back of the net again for his hat-trick in the 35th.

The Lebanese kept the islanders on their toes throughout and kept them at bay. The first half came and went, with the NMI still unable to make big pushes toward Lebanon’s territory. Then, Karim Kassem made it 5-0 in the 76th, followed by a goal by Kassem Watfa in the 80th. Just two minutes later, Anis Nehme found their seventh goal, while Nasser scored their eighth and final goal in two minutes added time.

As for their game against South Korea, team manager Mikky Vargas said, “although South Korea came away with a 10-0 victory, the boys put in a strong effort against a tough opponent. Being the team with the highest FIFA ranking in the group, the game against South Korea was clearly one of the most challenging in this tournament, but the team remained focused till the final whistle.”

She said after their three previous matches, the NMI felt the physical toll, but pushed “through like champs. South Korea’s fast play and quick ball movement meant we had to be especially disciplined in our defensive shape.”

She added, “The boys worked hard to stay organized and tried to keep up with the many chances Korea was creating through their off-ball movement. It was mentally and physically demanding, but they stuck with it. Despite spending more time without possession, they worked hard to contest high balls and stay engaged throughout the entire 90 minutes.

“The coaches are incredibly proud of how far the boys have come, both in their individual skill and, as demonstrated in this game, in their ability to work effectively as a team,” said Vargas.

She then said, “Thank you all for the incredible support. It’s been felt by the boys throughout this tournament…”