India U20 men’s team ready for Tashkent qualifiers after unbeaten Bengaluru run

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) With four unbeaten friendly matches under their belt and no goals conceded, the India U20 men’s team are heading into the final stretch of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. The Blue Colts will depart for Tashkent on Wednesday.

India recorded three wins and a draw across their four international friendlies in Bengaluru earlier this month, beating Singapore twice (3-0 and 1-0), drawing 0-0 with Yemen, and securing a 1-0 victory in the second match against the West Asian side. The results provided Mahesh Gawali’s side with valuable match exposure ahead of the three crucial qualifiers in Uzbekistan.

For winger Vishal Yadav, who started in all four friendlies, the Bengaluru camp provided the team with the opportunity to work collectively towards the challenge ahead. “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.”

The four friendlies also allowed the players to test themselves against different styles of opposition and identify areas for improvement. India scored five goals across the matches while keeping four consecutive clean sheets.

“The friendly matches against Singapore and Yemen were very important for us. They gave us a chance to test ourselves against strong opposition, understand where we need to improve and gain confidence. Yemen, in particular, were good both with and without the ball. The matches were challenging both physically and tactically, which helped us prepare better for the upcoming competition,” said Yadav.

The two matches against Yemen also offered defender Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum a significant personal milestone, as he captained the Blue Colts in both games. The centre-back described the experience as both an honour and a responsibility.

“It felt like a huge honour and a big responsibility to be the captain of the national team. Being captain in such big games gave me more confidence and extra motivation to lead the team and communicate better with my teammates. I was proud of the trust the coaches and my teammates showed in me, and it made those two games special.”

Sumit, who missed the SAFF U20 Championship earlier this year due to injury, also valued the four matches as an opportunity to build chemistry with his teammates ahead of the qualifiers.

“Unfortunately, I was not part of the SAFF U20 Championship because of a minor injury. So, it was good for me to play with these teammates, understand each other better, and build a stronger connection so that we can improve together. That’s how those four games helped.”

The Yemen fixtures, in particular, provided a tougher test for the Blue Colts, with Sumit believing the higher level of opposition helped the team understand the demands that await them in Tashkent. “Against Yemen, obviously, it was a tougher challenge, and they gave us a higher standard to play against.”

While the attack will be an area for further improvement, India’s defensive consistency has been one of the most encouraging aspects of their Bengaluru preparations.

“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,” Sumit said.

The Blue Colts will depart for Tashkent on Wednesday, five days before their opening qualifier against Syria on August 31. India will then face hosts Uzbekistan on September 3 before concluding their Group B campaign against Bangladesh on September 6.

The group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all eight groups will qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027.

–IANS

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