Doha: In the opening match of Group A at the 20th FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Qatar U17 team fell to a hard-fought 0-1 defeat against Italy. The game took place on Monday at Pitch 7 in the Aspire Zone, marking the start of a tournament that will see 48 teams compete until November 27th.

Italy secured a difficult but deserved victory, ultimately decided by a 19th-minute goal from Samuel Inasio. The scorer finished off a penetrating through pass from Benito Borasio that dissected the Qatari backline, leaving him one-on-one with the keeper to score. The Young Maroons were spurred on by their passionate fans, whose noisy support echoed throughout the match.

Despite a strong will to return to the scoreline, the Qatari efforts were met with a brilliantly organized Italian defense. The hosts strived for an equalizer after halftime, with Omar Al-Marzouqi's 50th-minute attempt being deflected away. In the dying moments, Essa Waleed came agonizingly close with a powerful long-range shot in the 87th minute that clipped the top of the crossbar.

With this result, the Italian team claimed their first three points and sit second in the Group A table, behind South Africa on goal difference after the latter's 3-1 win over Bolivia. The tournament will progress to a direct-elimination knockout phase, starting with a round of 32, then the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final at Khalifa Stadium on November 27th.

For the draw held in Doha last May, the 48 participating teams were seeded into four pots based on their results in the previous five U-17 World Cups. The host Qatar U17 team was positioned in Pot 1 at the head of Group A.