India have been placed in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023, which was announced at the draw ceremony of the tournament, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday.
India have been drawn against Japan, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan in Group D of the tournament. Head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, “We are all excited with the group that we got at the draw. We will be facing some quality opponents, and the boys are really looking forward to it. Every footballer at every level wants to play against the best, and Japan are certainly one of the best in Asia.
“Our previous batches have of course played against teams like Uzbekistan and Vietnam, and we have had some good results against them, so we are very hopeful to reach our goal, which is to be the first Indian team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup,” he said. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, which consist of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The four teams that make it to the semi-finals will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru in 2023. The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, which is set to commence on June 15, will be held across four venues: Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok; Thammasat Stadium and BG Stadium in Pathum Thani; and Chonburi Stadium in Chonburi. Group D: Japan, India, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan.