Report: England MU19s 1-0 Poland
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Shumaira Mheuka's goal was the difference between the two teams
England Men's under-19s recorded their first win of the elite qualifying round for UEFA U19 EURO 2026 after a comfortable 1-0 victory against Poland in Portugal.
Persistence paid off for Will Antwi’s side when Shumaira Mheuka’s strike won England the game in the closing stages.
The result puts England on three points, level with both Serbia and Portugal, in Group 2.
The Young Lions started brightly through Jesse Derry and Mheuka, who both saw their efforts denied in the opening minutes.
Poland were reduced to ten players on the 11th minute when Kamil Nowogoński received a straight red card, which opened space for England to exploit and experiment.
Mheuka was in the heart of majority of England’s attacks and was denied twice by Mateusz Jeleń as Will Antwi’s side progressed forward.
After the interval, momentum had swung in the way of the opposition and Oliver Whatmuff made two solid saves to deny Konrad Ciszek and Mateusz Dziewiatowski.
England eventually broke the deadlock when Mhueka fired his strike past Jeleń to give the Young Lions the lead in the final stages.
Antwi’s side will next face the hosts, Portugal, on Tuesday 31 March (4pm BST kick-off), with an opportunity to finish top of the group if England are to progress, which will see them into this summer’s U19 EURO Finals which take place in Wales.
England: Oliver Whatmuff (Rochdale, loan from Manchester City), Brooklyn Nfonkeu-Feuba (Manchester City), Kian Noble (Manchester City), Samuel Amissah (Fulham), Ezra Mayers (West Ham United), Chris Rigg (Sunderland), Trey Nyoni (Liverpool), Harrison Armstrong (Everton), Jesse Derry (Chelsea), Shumaira Kostić Mheuka (Chelsea), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool)
Substitutions: Souleymane Sidibe (PSV Eindhoven) for Brooklyn Nfonkeu-Feuba 46’, George Hemmings (Aston Villa) for Ezra Mayers 63’, Divine Mukasa (Leicester City, loan from Manchester City) for Harrison Armstrong 63’, Harry Howell (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Chris Rigg 80’, Sean Neve (Newcastle United) for Rio Ngumoha 80’
Substitutions not used: Nicolas Michalski (Blackburn Rovers), Airidas Golambeckis (West Ham United), Christian McFarlane (Manchester City)
Head coach: Will Antwi
Goals: Shumaira Mheuka 86’