IT was an event that lived up to expectations in virtually every sense. Once again, the 2001 FIFA World Under-17 Championship featured a high level of exciting football, devoid of all the defensive tactics and unadventurous pragmatism that has plagued the game at senior level. As always, some of the best displays in the competition occurred during the quarterfinal stage and, not surprisingly, African teams performed exceptionally well in this championship, with all three of the continent’s representatives reaching the last eight.