The India U20 men’s team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Yemen in their second closed-door friendly at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday, August 23.
After being held to a goalless draw in the first meeting between the two sides on Thursday, the Blue Colts found the breakthrough late in the contest. Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam struck in the 89th minute to seal the win for India.
The victory provides an encouraging boost to India’s preparations ahead of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. The Blue Colts have been conducting their Bengaluru camp as they fine-tune their preparations for the qualifying campaign.
India will travel to Tashkent on August 26, with the qualifiers scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan from August 31 to September 6.
The win over Yemen was India’s fourth friendly of the current preparation phase. Earlier this month, Mahesh Gawali’s side recorded victories over Singapore in both their August 3 and August 6 friendlies before drawing 0-0 with Yemen in the first encounter on August 20.
With the qualifying campaign now just days away, the Blue Colts will look to carry the confidence from their late victory into the crucial AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Picture Courtesy: AIFF Media
