Gambia vs Honduras summary: score, stats and updates | Under-20 World Cup

Gambia and Honduras put on a thrilling show

Prior to tonight's Group F game between Gambia and Honduras, many acknowledged the fact that neither team was known for attacking firepower, yet the 28 shots that Gambia took, along with the 19 that Honduras had, seems to tell a different story.

At the heart of the action were go-to players from each team. Indeed, it was Adama Bojang who bagged two goals on the night, further confirming why it is that teams such as Ajax and Tottenham have been linked with him. On the other side of the divide was Honduras' Marco Aceituno, who's industrious play and clever passing was something to behold. Fitting that it was he who got Honduras their equaliser in the first half, just minutes after a stunning goal from Bojang with only 30 seconds on the clock.

On that note, the Hondurans will likely feel hard done after appearing to cancel out Bojang's second moments later, only to see it cancelled out by a VAR review. With that said, they can feel proud of their efforts on the night as they now prepare to face both Korea and France in their next two respective games. The loss will no doubt be a blow to their hopes of advancing from the group stage for the first time, but if they can replicate tonight's performance they should not be fearful.

As for the Scorpions, it's clear that they've come to play and moreover that they can. Led by their talisman in Bojang, this is a team that could cause real problems for opponents in this tournament if they can maintain this level. Keep an eye for them and keep an eye for us as well, as we will be bringing you the action throughout the tournament.

Goodnight to one and all!

And with that, the referee blows his whistle for the final time. it's a 2-1 victory for Gambia.

Honduras for their part are trying, but Gambia's defense appears to be standing the test as we enter the final minute of additional time.

That could have been a goal for Honduras after the ball fell to Carter once again, but his close range shot is blocked and the Gambians escape.

Gambia are now 3 minutes away from an opening win in the group, but they need to focus.

After some intelligent play from Sanyang, Bojang gets off a shot, but it's blocked and Honduras breaks. Following a decent cross from the right, it's Carter once again who gets his head to the ball, but this time he's not so lucky.

Following a foul on Garcia in goal, Honduras will get going once again and their is an urgency in their play having seen their goal chalked off.

Gambia have got themselves a corner which they are in no hurry to take.

It's called offside!!! The score remains 2-1 to Gambia as we enter stoppage time of which their will be 7 minutes.

There is a VAR check, however, as Honduras holds their breath.

Honduras on the counter down the right, but Arzu's cross is too deep. There is a deflection however and Honduras will ahve a throw from the left.

Gambia is beginning to put on a show as the fans start to chant "Ole." Though it could be a bit premature if we're honest, there's still work to be done.

AFter a long ball to the left side where Sanyang was waiting, the big man cut in on his right foot and let go a fierce shot, which brought out a great save from Garcia.

The Hondurans appear to be tiring as they are conceding possession more and more. Whether Gambia can take advantage of that fact remains to be seen.

Bojang once again after a delightful delivery. He'll be wondering how the ball didn't go in after he appeared to try to knee it toward goal from point blank range.

That could have been 2-1 but for a great save from Garcia after Bojang's effort.

Gambia has also made a change with Colley being replaced by Ballack.

Castillo has now been replaced by Carter

Gambia's Jawara has clearly got lung power to spare as he marauds down the right side. In the end his cross is blocked and Gambia will have a throw deep in Honduran territory.

Almost a very costly error from Garcia in goal as his clearance is met by a Gambian player. We're it not for the offside he could have been in real trouble.

The Honduran No. 10 is on his feet once again and seems good to go, but he's got to leave the field to come back in. Off we go again.

A heavy foul on Castillo by Njie who is actually already on a yellow card, which the referee is clearly explaining to him. He'll need to watch himself.

With less than 20 minutes remaining in regular time, a winner is starting to look less likely between the two, but we'll see.

Njie is back on his feet and we're back to the game. It's Gambia with the ball in their defense as they go down the right side. A deep cross is met by Colley who attempts to improvise with the outside of his boot, but his effort goes over the bar.

Njie is down on the field and appears to be in real discomfort.

After beating the keeper Bojang is forced wide and though he manages to get off a shot from a tight angle, it's cleared off of the line.

Almost a real problem for Honduras as Sanyang drifts pass his defender and tries a shot from a tight angle which is saved.

A surprising change from Honduras, as goalscorer Aceituno is replaced by Arzu.

A well taken corner is guided over the bars by Saidikhan. He should have done better.

Gambia will have a corner after a searching ball to Bojang is deflected out.

After a decent turn in midfield, Castillo attempts a shot from a long way out and understandably sees it sail into the night sky.

Gambia have made double the amount of passes that Honduras have, which certainly puts things in perspective for you, however, the teams are almost equal in shots.

Gambia play back to their defense as they try to displace the Honduran defense. Indeed, a lofted ball into the box almost unlocks the defense but in the end it's cleared and Honduras breathes again.

After a clever run into the box Sanyang, who is actually on the books at Bayern Munich has an attempt at goal. Indeed, the forward will feel frustrated that he didn't do better with his effort after creating the chance for himself.

We've crossed the 60 minute mark and with that we've got half hour left in this one. Gambia is still dominating in possession and almost get the reward.

A cheeky foul in midfield leads to the end of the night for Ramos who has worked his socks off. The substitution will see Hernandez entering.

The Gambians are probing, but for the moment Honduras are holding firm. Unfortunately an errant pass from Singateh brings an end to it and Honduras will break.

Gambia with a double change as Drammeh and Sawaneh depart. In their place come Sanyang and Singateh respectively.

Once again Honduras with clever build up play through the middle, but the final ball is lacking in quality. Gambia play out from the back casually, but having seen the ball deflected out on the left, we will have changes

For the moment what we can say is that Honduras' final ball is defeating them. The idea and execution in build up is clearly correct, but it's that last pass that just isn't cutting it. The latest culprit being Castillo who passes to nobody in the box after a decent run from Aceituno.

This time it's Aceituno trying his luck and he almost manages to cause a real problem after he cuts back onto his left foot inside the box. Sadly, his attempt to bend the ball to the far post is unsuccessful.

After a crafty run from Garcia down the right side, the ball is finally cleared by Gambia's defense and Honduras will restart from the right side.

Gambia enjoying a spell of possession now, but nothing is being given by Honduras who clear once again. Gambia will try their luck from the left side again. The ball finally falls kindly for Bojang in the area, but his side volley is closer to the birds than the goal.

After some back and forth in the middle of the ground, it's Honduras who come away with it, but Njie brings an end to it and we've got a deep Gambian cross from the left side.

Honduras have started the second half as the brighter of the two sides, but their progress is halted with an offside call on the left side of the field.

Both sides have made a change at the half with Honduras' Ochoa stepping in for Kelly.

We're off and running once again and it's Gambia who gets us started.

The players are back on the field and we're almost ready to go!

Then there's this guy

As the architect of almost everything productive that they've done, it's been hard to miss Honduras' talisman. Indeed, Gambia have struggled with him throughout the half. One gets the feeling that should his teammates start to read from the same page, the Africans could be in for trouble.

The man of the moment

Truth be told, the kid has been a constant threat throughout the half, which is to say keep an eye on him in the second!

It's been a good show

It's been a tidy half from either side, with Gambia showing both immense physical conditioning and an intricacy in their build up play.

Meanwhile, Honduras has been able to match them toe-for-toe with some classy play of their own. Where their stars are concerned, both have turned up with Boajng scoring a stunner inside of 30 seconds, before the diminutive Aceituno showed that sized doesn't matter with a powerful header to the far post.

With that, the referee has brought the half to a close. A decent showing from both sides with 2 very good goals.

After some degree of confusion in the Honduran area, it's Gambia who get off a shot, but it's too high and we will have a goal kick, which Honduras controls, but it's tackled immediately.

Honduras will look to have the final say and they almost do with a fierce effort from the left side of the box, but it's saved and Gambia break.

With just 1 minute of stoppage time remaining, the score remains 1-1 here in Mendoza and a decent run is brought to an end by a well timed tackle from newboy Njie, but he promptly gives the ball away.

We will see the first card of the game, as Njie takes down Ramos in midfield.

Gambia appear to be content to see out the half playing in their defense, while Honduras appear content to let them as the clock winds down.

Saidikhan finally makes his way onto the field and Gambia are back to 11 players.

In Jarju's place will come Saidikhan, but for the moment play continues as he waits on the sideline. Honduras are bringing it out of the back.

We're now in added time of which we will have 7, but Jarju is still being attended to by medics, who are now removing him from the field via stretcher.

A stretcher is being brought on to the field and indeed, Jarju looks to be in trouble.Lying face down, he's not moved in some time now.

We've got another player on the ground and it appears to be Jarju. He's clutching his thigh and in truth it looks like he might not be able to continue.

Gambia down the right again, but the low cross from Colley goes begging and Honduras break. He pokes a pass across the box but it's poor and in the end, Gambia's Sanyang is happy to collect the ball.

As we approach the end of half, some of the pace of the game has fizzled, but the intricacy of passing from both teams has in fact increased.

We've got a player down on the field and it's Honduras' Arzu who appears to be in some pain. He's managed to get to his feet and has made his way to the sideline and has now re-entered the game.

Some decent midfield play but in the end Sorto chooses to shoot from well beyond 30 yards. Not a good choice.

A lovely turn by Bojang, but then with seemingly no good reason he passes the ball straight to his opponent.

Honduras with some clever play to escape the press, a lovely flick by Castillo being the center piece, but in the end Gambia are able to close it down.

What looked like it was Gambia's second goal has been pulled back for offside. Indeed it's the right call after Drammeh snuck in at the back post to tap the ball home.

Some of the challenges are becoming quite aggressive and one can tell the referee is beginning to lose his patience. We'll likely see a card or two at this rate.

There was a decent run from Arzu into the box, but he's bundled over by his marker or at least that's how it appears. The referee is having none of it and tells him to get up. On we go.

There appears to be a problem with Sawaneh on the ground. He claims that he was elbowed in the face, but the referee has chosen to continue with play and not punish anyone.

Once more it's Bojang the protagonist. Honduras will need to keep a better watch on him if they don't want to be made to pay.

Once again Gambia go down the right through Drammeh but there is a little too much pace on the pass and it will go out of play for a Honduras throw in.

A great header from Bojang who is looking for his second goal, but it was an even better save from Honduras' Garcia Colindres in goal.

Both teams have settled into a somewhat slower pace now, however, it's clear that Gambia are willing to be patient.

After a decent run from Arzu dow the right side, the ball is deflected kindly for Aceituno, but fortunately for Gambia, his shot is blocked at point black range in front of the goal.

Gambia once again have possession, but they waste it with a speculative pass that goes straight to Honduras' goalkeeper.

After some insecure defense the Hondurans finally manage to clear the ball following the corner and it's Aceituno who goes on a brilliant run into the Africans' box, but he's finally stopped by the central defender.

Following the throw in, Colley once again goes to work down the right side of Honduras' defense but cross is deflected and Gambia will have a corner.

Having gotten out of a tight situation in the middle of the field, Honduras will be disappointed to let the ball simply run out of play on the right side for a Gambia throw.

For the moment possession stands at 59% - 41% in Gambia's favor and to be fair, it shows.

Bojang cuts inside after controlling the ball with authority on the left side of the field. Choosing to shoot from distance rather than linking with his teammate, the promising forward sees his shot sail into the stands.

Gambia with their first corner of the game and it's a productive one. After some tussling in the box, A shot to the far post goes just wide. That could've been 2-1.

Bojang with a heavy shoulder barge on his marker and he's blown for a foul. Honduras will take the freekick from the right side of their defense. Unfortunately, it's straight into Gambian territory and they bring it right back.

Unfortunately for them, their rhythm is broken up by some smart defending from Honduras' left side.

Choosing to play out of the back, Gambia are showing real industry in their ability to play short intricate passes.

Honduras have another corner. Arzu will take but it's too deep and we will have a goal kick

Gambia have regained composure and appear to be attempting to construct something on the right side of the field with Colley, who has shown himself to be a willing runner.

A casual clearance from Gambia's keeper is blocked by Aceituno and he's forced to catch the ball once again. That could have been costly.

If we can take one thing from these opening exchanges, it's that we're in for a physical game. Both sides have shown a willingness to commit heavily to challenges.

The equaliser has given Honduras clear confidence, but Gambia's Colley almost stole into the area 1-on-1 with Honduras' keeper. That could have been a second with not even 10 minutes on the clock. A very open start here in Mendoza.

Honduras are still finding their way, but they've got a corner which is headed back across the goal, but Honduras just can't get a touch to it. Gambia survive.

We've not even had time for the game to really find its shape and we've already had a stunner. Indeed, fans are still taking their seats but here we are.

Having won the toss, it's Honduras who will start with the ball. Playing in their traditional white strip, they will be eager to get their Group F campaign off and running with a win. Marco Aceituno will be a big part of that. The breakout star of the U20 CONCACAF championships is a force to be reckoed with. Here we go!

The teams are on the field

The anthems are being played and players are signing with pride. It's almost time for kickoff folks. Get ready!

Not long now

We're now moments away from kickoff and though the stadium in Mendoza is not full of fans, we're expecting this game to be worthy of fanfare. While both teams are indeed relative unknowns at this level, it would be a mistake to think they can't play this game the way it should be played.

A Star in the Making

With links to Tottenham, it's clear this young man is going places. Keep an eye on him tonight!

The starting 11s for Gambia vs Honduras

Here's a look at how both teams will take to the field tonight!

It's Gambia vs Honduras in the U20 FIFA World Cup

From Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina comes an interesting Group F clash between Gambia and Honduras. With sides having never met, we're expecting the unexpected in this one so be sure to keep following!

It's almost game time

We're now less than 15 minutes away from kickoff and we couldn't be more excited. As any football fan will know, the U20 World Cup is a veritable proving ground for the next generation of talent in the "Beautiful Game."

With that in mind, we're fully expecting an enthralling and tactical affair between these two defensive minded sides. Be sure to stay with us throughout!

A little taste of Gambia

Here's a little hint of what the Scorpions are capable of. Of course tonight, they will face stiff competition in the form of the South American outfit.

There are other teams in action

With France and Korea also taking on each other in Group F, we've got a night full of football and that's before we even mention that Group E will also be in action, with England facing Tunisia and Iraq going head-to-head with Uruguay. Stay with us!

It's gonna be a good one

We hope you're ready for this one, because we most definitely are. With two solid teams about to be on show, we're betting it's going to be a tight affair.

Welcome Welcome Welcome!

We've got an exciting clash in the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Group F. It's No. 2 ranked Gambia taking on No. 3 ranked Honduras and something tells us we're in for a heated match.

On the Africans' side of the divide, the tournament in Argentina marks just their second appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup and first since 2007. Yet, as losing finalists to Senegal in the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, it's clear the Young Scorpions are a team that's in form and will be hoping to continue in that way. Where Honduras is concerned, this is their ninth appearance at the U-20 World Cup, having qualified for the tournament by means of their semifinal elimination at the 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.

It would be fair to say, that both nations are outsiders in Group F, with France and Korea rounding out the quartet. What that means, is that the points which are up for grabs tonight are absolutely critical to their cause going forward. With no head-to-head between them, this first meeting between the sides will see a team that's never made it past the group stage - Honduras - against a team that did so in their only other appearance at this level back in 2007.

Neither side is famed for its attacking fire power, meaning this is likely to be a tight and tidy affair with very little to separate the teams. That's not to say we shouldn't expect goals, but perhaps not a plethora of them.

Be sure to stay with us throughout, as we take you through the action play by play!