As per Olympics.com, the junior Indian football team will begin its campaign in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup by facing Vietnam on Saturday. The tournament commenced on Thursday, with a match between Yemen and Malaysia.
The U-17 football event, hosted by Thailand, will feature 16 countries and take place from 15 June to 2 July. Korou Singh Thingujam, India’s attacking midfielder, will lead the team as the captain during this tournament. India’s match against Uzbekistan is scheduled for 20 June. The match against reigning champions Japan on 23 June will pose the biggest challenge for the Indian team, mentored by head coach Bibiano Fernandes. Japan is the most successful side in the tournament, having won the championship three times.
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, currently in its 19th edition, will see India participating for the ninth time. India’s previous quarterfinal runs in 2002 and 2018 have been among their notable performances in the tournament. In the group stage, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals. The semi-finalists will secure qualification for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2023, scheduled for November. India has qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup only once before, when they hosted the tournament in 2017.
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, originally scheduled to take place in Bahrain in 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India secured their qualification for the tournament in October of the previous year by finishing as runners-up in Group D during the qualification round, with Saudi Arabia topping the group.
