Football
India qualifies for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup for the third time in a row
Indian U-17 men's football team has qualified for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup set to be held in 2023.
India after qualifying for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2023. (Source: Twitter/ Indian Football team)
On the early hours of Monday, the Indian men's U-17 team confirmed their berth at the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup. With this, they have qualified for the coveted tournament for a third time in a row.
Interestingly, it was under head coach Bibiano Fernandes' tutelage that the team qualified for the Asian tournament all three times in the recent past. The first of the lot was in 2018 when the Indian side produced their best-ever finish in the competition by reaching the quarter-finals.
The 2020 edition, which was supposed to be held in Bahrain, was unfortunately cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This time, the same country will get a chance to host the many nations in 2023.
During their qualification round, India doled out convincing defeats to the likes of Maldives, Kuwait, and Myanmar. However, their mettle was tested when table toppers Saudi Arabia faced them.
Despite a spirited effort, the Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat against the Saudis. Nonetheless, Fernandes' men were one of the best 2nd placed teams and were able to book their place in the finals of the tournament.
