Croatia U-17 in "definitely the toughest" group

Dario Bašić's men will play in the Group A at the U-17 World Cup, and will be the first opponent for the hosts Chile in Santiago on 17 October, the opening day of the tournament.

Later on, Croatia will play USA on 20 October in Vina del Mar, and complete the group stage against Nigeria on 23 October in Coquimbo.

"To play on the opening day against the host team, in front of a full crowd and against a quality opponent is a dream come true. It will be a lifelong memory, and will bring out the best from our players", said Croatia U-17 head coach Bašić.

"Nigeria and USA are also top teams, and Group A is definitely the toughest at the World Cup. We will have to play at a very high level to accomplish something, and we will try to make the most out of every single match", he added.

Croatia U-17 reached the FIFA World Cup in Chile with a win over Italy, after the loss against Belgium at the quarterfinals stage of the European Championships in Bulgaria.

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