Figueira looks ahead to FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil

Words: ACFC Media

Friday 13 September 2019

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC head coach Jose Figueira travelled to Brazil for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Team workshop last week.

Figueira, who is the New Zealand U-17 head coach, was joined by 13 other coaches with the objective of the meeting was to share vital information with the teams' delegates on topics including logistics, competition matters, security, transport, media and medical issues.

Also in attendance was former Brazil goalkeeper and FIFA Legend Julio Cesar, who shared a message with the participants and also spoke to FIFA.com about his experiences in the age category and what to expect from Brazil 2019.

The team workshop also served to whet the appetite ahead of the launch of the ticket sales, the first round of which will be available for general purchase on Friday 30 August at 17:00 CEST.

New Zealand U-17 face a tough section drawn alongside host nation Brazil, Angola and Canada and will play all three matches at the Estádio Bezerrão in Gama in October and November.

Figueira was pleased with the knowledge gleaned from the exercise.

"The trip to Brazil was a very short but productive trip. At the Workshop in Brasilia we got to see the training facilities, stadium and accommodation where we will be based for our group stage.

"Being part of any FIFA event and representing your country on the international stage is a special moment, however being part of the same group as the home nation in Brazil will be something I’m sure the players will remember for life.

"It is a very interesting group with three games and opponents of varying styles.

"As coach it will be a great challenge in terms of preparation and getting the group ready to perform at the very highest level, and in front of whats expected to be a big crowds - especially for game two against Brazil," Figueira told www.aucklandcityfc.com.

New Zealand's first match is against Angola in what shapes as a mouthwatering double header with Brazil and Canada kicking the tournament off at the same venue four hours prior. Figueira says Angola will be a tricky first up opponent.

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"Brazil 2019 will be the first appearance at U-17 FIFA level for Angola, making them a bit of an unknown quantity coming into the tournament.

"We have been able to secure their qualification and preparation games this year which allows us to paint a bit of a picture of their personality on the pitch.

"We are expecting an athletic, aggressive and dynamic test from Angola with a number of their players already playing in their national competition and abroad," he said.

Figueira's team face host nation Brazil in a rerun of 2017's Round of 16 clash between the two countries that saw the South American's tip the New Zealanders out of the competition in a narrow 1-0 defeat in 2015 in Vina del Mar. New Zealand finish the group stage on November 1 when they take on Canada.

"Canada will be our third and final group game, which in previous tournaments has shown it is a game of great importance for teams wanting to progress through to the next stage of the competition.

"We are expecting a technical and tactically sound team that has shown real quality during their qualification campaign," he added.

Auckland City FC fans will have noted the FIFA U-17 World Cup kicks off in the week prior to the start of the ISPS Handa Premiership season in late October but Figueira repeated a message of reassurance.

"Like with all pre-seasons an extensive amount of planning and preparation takes place before we take the grass for our pre-season program.

"The staff and technical team I have around me are very experienced and we are all on the same page with regards to how we want to play and our processes on and off the field.

"Being present and leading the preseason preparation before heading to Brazil means I have full confidence in the team and staff to hit the ground running once the ISPS Handa competition kicks off," he said.

Auckland City FC's pre-season programme gets underway on 17 September.

Ends

FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019

26 October
New Zealand v Angola
Estádio Bezerrão, Gama
Kick-off: 20h00 local time

29 October
Brazil v New Zealand
Estádio Bezerrão, Gama
Kick-off: 20h00 local time

1 November
Canada v New Zealand
Estádio Bezerrão, Gama
Kick-off: 20h00 local time

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