India begin AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers' campaign against Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: India will begin their AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers' Group E campaign against Singapore on Wednesday, aiming to secure back-to-back appearances in the continental football tournament.

Hosts Malaysia, Palestine and Guam are the other teams in the fray.

India will next face Guam on November 14, Palestine on November 17 and hosts Malaysia on November 20 in their remaining Group E fixtures.

Only the group winner will progress to the AFC U17 Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan from May 12 to 29, 2027.

Among the five teams in Group E, India are the only side to have qualified for the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2026. The Blue Colts bowed out of the group stage after defeats to Australia and Uzbekistan.

They will head into the Qualifiers following an extensive preparation under the newly-appointed head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo.

The team began their preparatory camp in Goa in September, where over 100 players were assessed during a month-long selection process before the final 23-member squad was selected ahead of the Qualifiers.

Wadoo’s side travelled to Myanmar in early October, where they played two friendlies against the hosts, drawing 1-1 in the first before securing a 4-0 victory in the second.

The Blue Colts then travelled to the United Arab Emirates to play two more friendly matches against the hosts earlier this month. The first one ended goalless before India weaved a 4-1 victory in the second game to round off their preparations.

Assessing the squad's progress, Wadoo said, "Playing friendly matches before a tournament is always important, and the experience was valuable for us. The boys have shown good progress, and I am happy with the way the team is developing."