Bengaluru, July 24 (IANS) As part of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, the Indian U20 men’s team will play two friendly matches against Singapore here at the Centre for Sports Excellence, the AIFF said on Friday.
The two matches, scheduled to take place on August 3 and 6 will take place behind closed doors.
India and Singapore have met twice before in official U20 men’s competitions, with India winning both encounters in the AFC Youth Championship — a 4-1 victory in 1966, followed by a penalty shootout triumph in the quarter-finals during their title-winning campaign in 1974.
The two sides also played a pair of U19 international friendlies in Goa in 2017, with India winning the first 7-2 before Singapore claimed the second 1-0.
In the 2027 qualifiers, the Blue Colts, led by head coach Mahesh Gawali, will face Syria (August 31), Uzbekistan (September 3), and Bangladesh (September 6) in Tashkent.
The Indian U20 team’s preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers are underway in Bengaluru at The Sports School and the Centre for Sports Excellence.
A total of 102 players from across the country have participated in the trials since the camp began. Following the evaluation process, 26 players are currently training with the U20 men’s national team, led by head coach Mahesh Gawali.
Fifteen players have been temporarily released from the camp at the request of their clubs to participate in the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) Japan Tour.
The group comprises eight players from Punjab FC, six from Bengaluru FC, and one from FC Goa. They will rejoin the national team camp upon their return from Japan next week.
India have been drawn in Group B of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers alongside Uzbekistan, Syria and Bangladesh.
The qualifiers will be played in a centralised single round-robin format in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from August 31 to September 6, 2026.
The eight group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all groups will qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027.
–IANS
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