India U20 Men Head to Tashkent Unbeaten for AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

The India U20 men’s football team will depart for Tashkent on Wednesday, August 26, taking an unbeaten record into the final stretch of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers.

The Blue Colts completed a four-match preparatory stint in Bengaluru earlier this month without conceding a single goal. Head coach Mahesh Gawali’s side registered three victories and one draw, scoring five goals across the series of international friendlies.

India opened their Bengaluru campaign with back-to-back victories against Singapore, winning 3-0 and 1-0. They then faced West Asian opponents Yemen, playing out a 0-0 draw in the first encounter before securing a 1-0 win in the rematch.

Winger Vishal Yadav, who was named in the starting lineup for all four matches, stated that the camp and the fixtures allowed the squad to test themselves against varying styles of play. He noted that the matches against Yemen were physically and tactically demanding, giving the team essential match exposure and highlighting areas for improvement ahead of the qualifiers.

Defender Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum captained the team during both fixtures against Yemen. Sumit, who had missed the SAFF U20 Championship earlier in the year due to a minor injury, emphasised that the friendlies provided crucial opportunities to rebuild connection and chemistry with teammates.

Sumit explained that the team followed a unified game plan focused on attacking and defending collectively, which resulted in four consecutive clean sheets across their Bengaluru fixtures.

India will open their Group B qualifying campaign in Tashkent against Syria on August 31 at 16:30 IST. The Blue Colts will then play hosts Uzbekistan on September 3 at 19:30 IST, before concluding their group stage fixtures against Bangladesh on September 6 at 16:30 IST.

To secure qualification for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027, teams must finish as group winners or emerge as one of the seven best second-placed sides across the eight qualifying groups.