India qualifies for 2020 AFC U-16 Championship

India, coached by Bibiano Fernandes, has qualified for 2020 AFC U-16 Championship finals after finishing at the top of Group B in the qualifiers.

Published : Sep 22, 2019 18:25 IST

India remained undefeated in the AFC U-16 qualifiers in Tashkent.
India remained undefeated in the AFC U-16 qualifiers in Tashkent.
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India remained undefeated in the AFC U-16 qualifiers in Tashkent.

India U-16 team qualified for the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship finals on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan.

India qualified on account of being the table topper of Group B. With two wins and a draw, India collected seven points to finish above Bahrain, Uzbekistan and Turmenistan.

In its opening match of the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers, India defeated Turkmenistan 5-0. It won in a similar score line against Bahrain in the second outing too.

On Sunday, the colts registered a draw, which saw Sridarth score in the 66th minute. Uzbekistan, however, equalised through Rian Islamov in the 81st minute.

But the result was enough to secure India a berth in the final round of the continental tournament.

This will be the ninth time India has qualified for the finals, having done it earlier in 1990, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2018 editions of the contest.

As per the rules, 11 group winners and the four best second-placed teams will progress the final round. Bahrain has attained automatic qualification on virtue of being the host.

The top four teams of the AFC U-16 Championship finals qualify for the U-17 World Cup as representatives of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). 

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