India U20 set for AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers after unbeaten Bengaluru run
The India U20 men's football team will head to Tashkent on Wednesday for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, buoyed by an unbeaten run in their recent international friendlies in Bengaluru. According to Lokmat Times and The New Indian Express, the team recorded three wins and a draw across four matches earlier this month, beating Singapore twice 3-0 and 1-0, drawing 0-0 with Yemen, and securing a 1-0 victory against the West Asian side in the second match.
One report, from Lokmat Times, noted that the team scored five goals while keeping four consecutive clean sheets, a defensive consistency that has been one of the most encouraging aspects of their preparations. The results have given Mahesh Gawali's side valuable match exposure ahead of their three qualifiers in Uzbekistan, with both newspapers highlighting the team's readiness.
Winger Vishal Yadav, who started all four friendlies, was quoted in both reports: "The camp is going really well so far. We are working together for the Qualifiers and putting in our best effort to be fully prepared for the three games ahead." He also said the friendlies provided a chance to test themselves against strong opposition, understand areas for improvement, and gain confidence. "Yemen, in particular, were good both with and without the ball," Yadav was quoted as saying. "The matches were challenging both physically and tactically, which helped us prepare better for the upcoming competition."
Defender Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum, who captained India in both matches against Yemen according to Lokmat Times, was quoted on the team's defensive organization: "We stuck to the game plan. We had a plan where the whole team had to attack and defend together. Based on our previous matches, we analysed a few things and made sure we made very limited mistakes at the back. As a whole team, we defended well. The objective was to defend as a team, and we defended as a team in all four games." He also said the friendlies helped build a better understanding with teammates and that the matches against Yemen were a tougher challenge, giving the team a higher standard to play against.
Sumit had missed the SAFF U20 Championship earlier this year due to a minor injury, according to the Lokmat Times report. He described captaining in the Yemen matches as "a huge honour and a big responsibility." "Being captain in such big games gave me more confidence and extra motivation to lead the team and communicate better with my teammates," he was quoted as saying. "I was proud of the trust the coaches and my teammates showed in me, and it made those two games special."
The team will leave for Tashkent five days before their opening qualifier against Syria on August 31 at 4:30 pm IST, as reported by Lokmat Times. They will then face hosts Uzbekistan on September 3 at 7:30 pm IST and Bangladesh on September 6 at 4:30 pm IST, according to both sources. These are the three matches in Group B of the qualifiers.
Qualification for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 will be determined by the group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all eight qualifying groups, as stated by both Lokmat Times and The New Indian Express.