Croatia Overpowers UAE U-17 as World Cup Dreams Hit a Snag
6 November 2025
Match snapshot
In the second round of Group C at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, the UAE under-17s were beaten 0-3 by Croatia under-17 at Aspire Zone. The UAE had earned a point from a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in their opening game, while Croatia sat on four points after a 0-0 draw with Senegal.
The UAE lined up with Jasim Abdullah in goal, a back four of Ahmed Ikrami, Suhail Al-Nubi, Fahd Khalil and Salim Issam; midfielders Ibrahim Yousef, Abdullah Rashid, Faisal Mohammed and Mohammed Jamal; and the strike pairing of Maed Adel and Ali Hasan. Croatia started with Mate Grahovac in goal, a back line of Leon Jakirovic, Karlo Bajsar, Peter Zvonomir and Raul Komar; midfielders Pavle Smiljanic, Niko Horvat, Patrik Horvat and Dugi Slisakovic; and forwards Tino Kosanovic and Gabriel Sevalic.
Croatia began with clear intent, forcing a save in the opening minute and continuing to pressure UAE’s backline. The breakthrough arrived in the 30th minute when Kosanovic finished from inside the box after a Sevalic assist, and Sevalic widened the lead in the 36th minute, firing home after UAE clearance fell to him near the edge of the box.
At halftime Croatia still held the upper hand. The UAE’s hopes of a comeback were dampened further in the second half when a goal by Suhail Al-Nubi was ruled out for a handball after a VAR check in the 47th minute. UAE pressed with substitutions around the 69th minute in a bid to spark life into their attack, but Croatia sealed the match with a late third goal as Radus finished from close range in the 89th minute.
The final whistle confirmed a 3-0 victory for Croatia. Croatia moved to four points in Group C, while the UAE remained on one point, leaving the group race to be decided in the remaining fixtures.
Two lighthearted punchlines to end on a smile: 1) If defense were a dessert, Croatia just served UAE a three-layer cake. 2) UAE’s coach asked for a time machine; the referee replied, You want tickets to the next match, not a sequel to this one.
