Having won all their three group matches with ease, South American giants Brazil will start clear favourites when they take on the unfancied Honduras in a pre-quarterfinal match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, here on Wedensday.
Seeking their fourth title, Brazil won all their matches to top Group D. They began with a dominating 2-1 win over title-contenders Spain and then outplayed both North Korea and Niger with identical 2-0 margins to set up a round of 16 clash with Group E's third-place finishers Honduras.
But they are not expected to have it this easy against the South American giants, who have been in excellent form so far. Besides winning all three of their group matches, they have conceded just one goal while scoring six.
Their strike duo of lincoln and Paulinho have been deadly up front, ensuring that Brazil did not feel the absence of a certain Vinicius Junior.
The duo have shared five goals between them of the total six scored in the group stage — the other goal coming from Brenner — and their on-field understanding has been excellent.
This will be the last time the Kochi crowd will see the Brazillians in this FIFA U-17 World Cup and the South American champions will be up against a confident Germany in the quarterfinals in Kolkata on October 22 if they beat Honduras on Wednesday.
African battle: Ghana vs niger
Navi Mumbai: Two-time champions Ghana will start as favourites against a gutsy continental neighbours Niger in what promises to be an exciting round of 16 clash in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, here on Wednesday.
Ghana have a pedigree in the age-group competition — having won it in 1991 and 1995 and having reached four out of five finals in the 1990s in which they dominated the age group competition.
In fact, it was Niger that had stopped five-time champions and geographical neighbours Nigeria from entering the competition held in India for the first time in the zonal stage in their home continent.