U17 Women’s World Cup: Cameron’s potential 11 against the Netherlands with Tiwa, Avana and Nkoussa leading the front

Sale, Morocco—The highly anticipated FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 begins for Cameroon’s U17 Lionesses as they face debutants, the Netherlands, in a crucial Group B opener. The match, will be played today, at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 2) in Salé, Morocco, at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT), marks Cameroon’s third appearance at the tournament.

The team enters the competition under a new tactical regime, with coach Joséphine Ndoumou tasked with guiding the squad to a historic progression beyond the group stage—a feat her predecessors.

The potential lineup, sketched out in a presumed 4-3-3 formation, suggests a strategy focused on midfield control and attacking width.

Starting for Cameroon

Manou 16
Tiwa 9
Avana 19
Nkoussa 10
Zoua 8
Dule 14
Mbouke 5
Aghogue 3
Nendji 18
Mafor 21
Ngo Belia 13

Coaching Philosophy: Joséphine Ndoumou Set to Leave a Mark

The focus on the coaching position highlights the pressure on Joséphine Ndoumou, who has taken the reins from former coach Ndoko. Ndomo’s objective is instilling the tactical discipline needed to transition from regional dominance to global competitiveness.

The Junior lionesses had a challenging but insightful warm-up phase ahead of the tournament. Playing three international friendly matches in Morocco, the team registered two losses against Morocco, China and one draw against Ecuador.

Ndoumou’s success will be measured by her ability to ensure the team maintains composure and shape under pressure, avoiding the defensive lapses that have often cost African teams at World Cups. Her mark will be the realization of the team’s potential on the international stage, shifting the narrative from African contender to global competitors.

The Opponent: Outsiders Only Discovering the Competition

While European teams are historically strong, the Netherlands U-17 Women’s team enters the World Cup as true outsiders in terms of experience. Morocco 2025 marks their debut appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

They qualified by winning the 2025 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, demonstrating high-level technical skill and tactical maturity. Despite their continental success, they lack the multi-cycle World Cup experience of teams like Cameroon, making them an unknown, yet highly dangerous, entity in Group B.

The Path to Morocco: Qualification Journeys

Both teams navigated tough qualifying paths to secure their spots in the tournament:

Cameroon’s Qualification Path (CAF)

Cameroon qualified through the rigorous African U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification tournaments, which saw them emerge as one of the four African representatives (alongside hosts Morocco).

• Round 1: Defeated Egypt (e.g., a dominant 5-0 victory in the first leg).
• Round 2: Overcame Ethiopia (e.g., 6-2 on aggregate).
  Final Round: Secured qualification by beating Kenya 4-1 on aggregate, cementing their place in Morocco. Netherlands’ Qualification Path (UEFA)

The Netherlands earned their debut spot by virtue of their performance in the European qualifiers:

They competed in the qualifying rounds for the 2025 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship. Their ultimate success in the UEFA tournament, which they won, automatically granted them a berth at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as one of the continent’s top qualifiers.