Canada’s U17 women’s soccer squad to meet Brazil in World Cup quarterfinal

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Oct 29, 2025 7:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 29

Canada scored 3 goals successful each fractional en way to a comfy 6-0 triumph implicit Zambia successful Round of 16 play Wednesday, mounting up a quarterfinal day with Brazil astatine the FIFA Women's U17 World Cup successful Sale, Morocco.

The Canada-Brazil victor volition look either defending champion North Korea oregon 2014 victor Japan successful the semifinal. Brazil blanked China 3-0 successful its Round of 16 game.

Daniela Feria-Estrada scored twice, and Melisa Kekic, Mya Angus, Chloe Taylor and Amy Medley added singles for Canada astatine the Football Academy Mohammed VI. Several of the goals were of highlight-reel quality, though Kekic missed a second-half penalty.

Canada has outscored its absorption 18-2 successful winning 4 consecutive astatine the 24-team tournament.

Canada's champion showing astatine the U-17 title was 4th successful 2018 erstwhile it was beaten by Mexico successful the semifinals. It besides made the quarterfinals successful 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Canada precocious to the knockout circular present by topping Group D with wins implicit Nigeria (4-1), Samoa (6-0) and France (2-1). Zambia moved connected arsenic 1 of the 4 champion third-place finishers, down Japan and Paraguay successful Group F.

In different Round of 16 enactment Wednesday, France upset Spain, runner-up successful 2024 and champion successful 2018 and '22, successful a punishment shootout, Mexico edged Paraguay 1-0 and Japan blanked Colombia 4-0.

Zambia, whose full squad is based domestically, bounced backmost from losses to Paraguay (2-1) and Japan (1-0) with a decisive 4-0 triumph implicit New Zealand.

Zambia was afloat of consenting runners but lacked a cutting borderline against Canada.

Canada opens scoring connected counterattack

It was a stop-and-start archetypal fractional owed to galore wounded delays with Zambia's Nana Malanda having to travel disconnected successful the 34th minute.

The Canadians went up successful the 13th infinitesimal connected the counterattack erstwhile Olivia Chisholm's elegant done shot enactment Kekic down the Zambia defence. Kekic, who had blasted a changeable implicit the barroom minutes earlier, made nary mistake this clip arsenic she slid a debased changeable past Zambia goalkeeper Loveness Chingwele.

Feria-Estrada doubled the pb successful the 30th infinitesimal when, aft a Canadian throw-in, Taylor floated a transverse into the Zambian punishment box. Kekic swung a limb and missed but the shot recovered Feria-Estrada, who swept it in.

Angus made it 3-0 with a spectacular onslaught successful the 39th infinitesimal from good extracurricular the punishment box. Deftly controlling a hard walk with her knee, she looped a left-footed changeable implicit a diving Chingwele into the apical country of the goal.

Fiji referee Torika Delai pointed to the punishment spot erstwhile substitute Julia Amireh whet down successful a tangle with Zambian skipper Mercy Chipasula.

Zambia challenged the telephone and Delai went to the pitchside monitor, electing to instrumentality with her telephone aft video review. But Kekic sent her punishment good wide of the goalpost successful the 60th minute.

Canada past unsuccessfully challenged the penalty, seemingly connected the crushed that the 'keeper came disconnected her line.

The video enactment strategy allows coaches 2 requests per crippled for a video review. If the reappraisal by the referee results successful the archetypal determination being changed, the squad retains its request.

2nd Feria-Estrada extremity disconnected beauteous escaped kick

Taylor headed location Canada's 4th disconnected a country successful the 80th infinitesimal with Medley, getting the shot from Amireh down the Zambia defence, adding a 5th 5 minutes later. Feria-Estrada closed retired the scoring successful the 92nd infinitesimal with a beauteous escaped footwear from conscionable extracurricular of the punishment box.

Canada outshot Zambia 12-10 (9-5 successful shots connected target).

Canada caput manager Jen Herst made 1 alteration to her starting lineup with Feria-Estrada slotting successful for Amireh. Canada was without suspended guardant Reed Tingley, who was sent disconnected for a 2nd yellowish paper against France aft coming connected arsenic a substitute.

The Zambia starting 11 featured defender Faith Kaunda, who turned 15 past week. Melyna Alexis, Canada's 15-year-old, came connected successful the 71st minute.

The Zambians were the past Africa state progressive successful the tournament. The Ivory Coast and Cameroon failed to get retired of the radical signifier and big Morocco and Nigeria mislaid successful earlier Round of 16 play.

Zambia was taking portion successful its 3rd variation of the U17 championship, having failed to exit the radical signifier successful 2014 and 2024 with a combined grounds of 1-5-0. Zambia qualified for the 2025 tourney by defeating Tanzania (4-0) and Benin (6-2-) successful two-legged bid successful African U-17 Women's World Cup qualifying play.

Canada missed retired connected the 2024 FIFA U-17 tourney but made the 7 erstwhile editions. CONCACAF lone sent 2 teams to the 2024 FIFA championship, with CONCACAF's Dominican Republic hosting the tournament, and Canada finished 3rd successful qualifying aft losing 2-1 to Mexico aft other clip successful the semifinal.

Led by interim caput manager Gary Moody, the young Canadians qualified for the 2025 FIFA tourney successful April, going unbeaten successful topping its CONCACAF qualifying radical by beating Nicaragua (5-0), Panama (2-0) and Puerto Rico (3-2).