AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers: India beats Laos 2-0 but qualification not yet confirmed for Blue Colts

India beat Laos 2-0 in its final AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifying match at the Lao National Stadium KM16 on Sunday but needs to depend on results of other matches to confirm qualification for the final tournament in China.

India beat Laos 2-0 in its final qualifier for the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

India beat Laos 2-0 in its final AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifying match at the Lao National Stadium KM16 on Sunday but needs to depend on results of other matches to confirm qualification for the final tournament in China.

Gwgwmsar Goyary and Thanglalsoun Gangte were the goalscorers for the Blue Colts.

As it stands, India is second in Group G with six points and a goal-difference of +4. Iraq tops the group with nine points having won all its matches.

India spent most of the first 45 minutes lurking around the Laos area to find a goal but had to troop back to the dressing room without success. While the home side rode its luck to keep the scoresheet clean, India missed a host of opportunities. Going by the trend of the proceedings, the Blue Colts should have been up by a comfortable margin, but they failed to avail chances that came their way.

Kelvin Singh Taorem surprised everyone around when he couldn’t find the target despite having the Laos goalkeeper at his mercy. Kop Lokpathib, the Laos custodian, by far the busiest person on the pitch, looked more relieved than anyone around when Goyary ballooned over the bar from just outside the six-yard area.

India was the better side and penetrated almost at will. But it didn’t break the ice. While Laos survived by the skin of their teeth, Indian strikers switched to the tactics of unleashing long rangers. It didn’t help. Most of the shots were off-target; the rest landed straight in the keeper’s hands.

There was no change in the pattern in the second session, except that Laos took advantage of India’s frustration. As India U20 increased men in attack in search of the elusive goal, Laos seized the opportunity to go for the counter-attacks.

Twice the Indian goal experienced rare attacks that had all the ingredients to leave them red-faced. Thankfully, Sahil was alert under the bar on both occasions.

Barring these stray attacks by Laos, its goal was under constant siege by the Indian strikers. At least three positive chances were missed by the men in blue in quick succession before their relentless pursuit for a goal bore fruit in the 69th minute. A long ball from Manglenthang Kipgen found Goyary inside the box, who beat the goalkeeper with a grounder.

In the 84th minute, substitute Thanglalsoun Gangte fired the second goal from inside the box.

Where does India stand now?

As of now, India is the fifth-best second-placed team (with six points and +4 goal-difference), which will ensure its ticket to the final tournament, provided other results go its way.

Below the Blue Colts, are Australia, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates and Tajikistan.

Australia and Kyrgyzstan need to lose for India to ensure that it reaches the final tournament. On the other hand, UAE and Tajikistan, both at three points each and a goal difference of -1 will need to win by a significant margin to leapfrog teams above them.

** - The above scenarios are updated as of September 29, 8 PM IST