THE DAY REPLAYED – Mexico and Canada enjoyed an evening to remember at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 on Sunday, eliminating the highly-fancied pair of Ghana and Germany, and qualifying for the last four of the tournament for the first time ever.

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Monica Vergara of Mexico celebrate with her players after Mexico defeat Ghana in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Julieta Peralta of Mexico celebrates after scoring the game winning penalty kick defeating Ghana in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Nicole Perez of Mexico, center, celebrates with Tanna Carreto after she scored a goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Nicole Perez of Mexico celebrates a scored goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Tedinah Sekyere of Ghana defends Natalia Mauleon of Mexico during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Suzzy Teye of Ghana celebrates with Millot Pokuaa after scoring a goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Denise Castro of Mexico shields the ball from Animah Grace of Ghana during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Mukarama Abdulai of Ghana celebrates a scored goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Elizabeth Oppong of Ghana and Alison Gonzalez of Mexico battle for control of the ball during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Mukarama Abdulai of Ghana celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Players of Ghana and Mexico line up for the National Anthems ahead the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Nicole Perez of Mexico poses prior the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Players of Mexico enter the pitch before the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Players of Ghana and Mexico enter the pitch before the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: A view inside the locker room of Mexico during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: A view inside the locker room of Mexico during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: A view inside the locker room of Ghana before the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Ghana and Mexico at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Jordyn Huitema of Canada celebrates a scored goal with her teammates during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay.(Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Gia Corley of Germany shields the ball from Wayny Balata of Canada during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Jordyn Huitema of Canada dribbles past Anna Aehling of Germany during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Assistant head coach of Canada Michael Norris gestures during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay.(Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Ivana Fuso of Germany struggles for the ball with Maya Antoine of Canada during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay.(Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Ulrike Ballweg of Germany during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - NOVEMBER 25: Jordyn Huitema of Canada celebrates a scored goal during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018 quarter final match between Germany and Canada at Estadio Charrua on November 25, 2018 in Montevideo, Uruguay.(Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Memorable moments

Sign of greatness: Before openly celebrating their historic qualification for the semi-finals of Uruguay 2018, both the Mexican and Canadian players respectively made their way over to their Ghanaian and German opponents to offer them words of consolation – proof that winning and fair play are not mutually exclusive.

CONCACAF on the charge: With Mexico and Canada facing each other in one of Wednesday’s semi-finals, the tournament is now sure to have a CONCACAF representative in the final, for just the second time. The first team from the region to achieve this feat was USA in the inaugural edition of the U-17 World Cup in 2008. In fact, no CONCACAF side had advanced to the final four of the competition since then.

Penalties prevalent: With three shootouts, Uruguay 2018 has already seen more matches decided by penalties than any other previous U-17 Women’s World Cup. New Zealand 2008, Trinidad and Tobago 2010, Azerbaijan 2012 and Costa Rica 2014 only featured two, while there was only one at Jordan 2016.

Support from the stands: The German players took their time leaving Montevideo’s Estadio Charrua following their elimination at the hands of Canada, but they still managed to steal the hearts of the large numbers of fans who had turned up to cheer them on. To lift their spirits, the supporters chanted the names of every single German squad member.

Goalscorer’s goodbye: Ghana’s defeat also marked the end of the road for Mukarama Abdulai, the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals. The free-scoring forward found the net in all four of the Black Maidens’ matches and looks likely to secure the adidas Golden Boot, although her closest pursuer, Spain’s Claudia Pina, who lies three goals back, still has two games in which to cut the gap.