Vientiane

The India U20 men’s national team is on the verge of making history, aiming for a spot in the AFC U20 Asian Cup. Their last appearance in the final rounds was in 2006 when they hosted the tournament. To find a successful qualification campaign, one must go back to 2004 when India qualified after Turkmenistan withdrew or to 2002, when they topped their qualifying group.

India is also a former champion of the Asian Youth Championship, sharing the title with Iran in 1974 after a 2-2 draw in the final. However, a lot has changed in Asian football since then. The Blue Colts need to defeat hosts Laos at the Lao National Stadium KM16 today to qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025. Currently, India sits second in Group G behind Iran. The top team from each group and the five best second-placed teams will earn a spot in the tournament.

Despite a heart-wrenching loss to Iran due to an 88th-minute goal, India’s head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri praised his team’s effort. He emphasized the importance of winning against Laos, saying, ‘We must focus on this match. Laos, coming off a 6-0 victory against Mongolia, will pose a challenge, but India aims to secure their qualification with a strong performance’.