Substitute Annabelle Chukwu scored in the 67th minute to equal Canada in the team’s first match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday.
France, who won the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in 2012, equalised in the 73rd minute on a goal by Lucie Calba at Goa’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Both sides had early opportunities, with Canadian goalie Coralie Lallier needing to save in the opening 30 seconds and Canada surviving a goalmouth scramble in the eighth.
Amanda Allen, on the other hand, struck the crossbar in the 20th minute after pouncing on a short French back ball to the keeper.
Anna Hauer’s long pass to Chukwu, who sidestepped the French goalie and put the ball in, set up Canada’s goal. Calba’s acrobatic header in the 73rd minute tied it up for France.
“Excellent start, team! Now on to the next one, “Bev Priestman, the wife of under-17 coach Emma Humphries, tweeted about it.
The 16-country tournament will continue till October 30.
The young Canadians face 2014 champion Japan on Saturday in Goa before concluding Group D play on Oct. 18 in Navi Mumbai against debutante Tanzania. Spain is the defending champion, having won when Canada finished fourth in 2018. Due to the epidemic, the 2020 event was cancelled.
Canada qualified after defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 in the third-place game in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic in May.
Canada has competed in seven U-17 Women’s World Cups, finishing fourth in 2018 in Uruguay after defeating Germany 1-0 in the quarterfinals before succumbing 1-0 to Mexico in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Canada was defeated 2-1 by New Zealand.
