Iraq drawn with Egypt in FIFA U-15 World Cup

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq was drawn in Group S alongside Egypt, the Cayman Islands, Macau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan next month.

The tournament will be held in Baku in late October, with 191 FIFA member associations taking part in an 8 versus 8 format. Teams will first compete in groups before being placed into six performance tiers based on their results, with the Tier A winner crowned champion.

Matches will consist of two 20-minute halves, with each team playing four or five group-stage matches followed by another four or five games in the second stage.

A day earlier, the Iraq Football Association appointed Safwan Abdul Ghani to lead the U-15 team. Karim Allawi was named team supervisor and safety and security officer, Ismail Mohammed administrative manager, and Alaa Kati goalkeeping coach.

Azerbaijan was selected in June to host the first edition of the competition, which FIFA created to expand international playing opportunities for youth teams across its member associations.