StarTimes will from this weekend begin airing the live coverage of FIFA U-17 World Cup Tournament in India.
The tournament opening encounter will be in New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nerhru Stadium and will pitch Colombia and Ghana in Group A. The second game will feature New Zealand vs Turkey in Group B on 6th October.
According to India’s tournament Local Organising Committee Director, Javier Ceppi, this will be the first time that India will be hosting a FIFA tournament.
He said: “It will be also the first time an Indian team will play in a FIFA competition. In recognition of the increasing excitement about the beautiful game in India, ‘Football Takes Over’ was the first and most fitting choice as the official slogan for the tournament.
Twenty-four teams will trade tackles for the coveted trophy. From Africa are Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Niger who reached the semi-finals of the 2017 CAF Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Gabon to take Africa’s spots at India 2017.
Iraq, Iran, Japan and Korea DPR joined the hosts in qualifying for India 2017 by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the 2016 Asian Football Cup U-16 Championship.
Others Spain, Turkey, England and Germany from Europe; end from the CONCACAF are Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and USA secured the four available spots for India 2017. New Caledonia and New Zealand represent the Oceania while Paraguay, Chile, Brazil and Colombia represent the South American federation.
Brands and Marketing Director, StarTimes, Mr. Qasim Elegbede, said subscribers can catch the live matches on ST World Football (Channel 244 and 254) and ST Sport premium (channel 252) or on the go via StarTimes mobile app.
“StarTimes acquired the broadcast rights of these sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup in over 48 territories in Africa, and other league games such as the Serie A, Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, Chinese Super League and Eredivisie to ensure that our subscribers across the globe are satisfiedâ€, Elegbede said.
He said StarTimes will be showcasing the best of these World Cup football actions live from the various match centres in Europe and elsewhere to subscribers in Nigeria.
