India will kickstart their 2020 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers campaign on Wednesday, 6 November, when they take on Central Asian nation Uzbekistan. India last qualified for the event in 2006 when they hosted the event. Since then, they have failed to make it to the main stage.
The AFC U-19 Championship doubles up as a qualifier to the 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup, with the four teams representing Asia in the biennial event.
46 AFC countries are participating in the qualifiers and they have been pooled into two groups of five and nine groups of four teams each. India are placed in Group F and will face Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and the hosts Saudi Arabia.
The winners of each group and four best runners-up will advance to the main tournament. As Uzbekistan are also the host of the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship, if they qualify, the fifth-best runners-up will also punch their ticket to qualification. Tajikistan, having already topped Group C will make their fifth appearance in the tournament.
Only the players who are born on or after 1 January, 2001 are eligible to represent their nation in this tournament.
2019 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers Group F
Teams: India, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan
Date: 6-10 November 2019
Venue: Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium, Al Khobar
Fixtures
6 November 2019: India U-19 vs Uzbekistan U-19 (5:35 p.m. IST)
6 November 2019: Saudi Arabia U-19 vs Afghanistan U-19 (9:35 p.m. IST)
8 November 2019: Afghanistan U-19 vs Uzbekistan U-19 (5:35 p.m. IST)
8 November 2019: India U-19 vs Saudi Arabia U-19 (9:35 p.m. IST)
10 November 2019: India U-19 vs Afghanistan U-19 (5:35 p.m. IST)
10 November 2019: Saudi Arabia U-19 vs Uzbekistan U-19 (9:35 p.m. IST)
Telecast
No live telecast
2018 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers Record
Under the tutelage of Luis Norton de Matos, India failed to qualify for the 2018 AFC U-19 Championships. They began their campaign with a 5-0 thumping to Saudi Arabia before saving their blushes in a 0-0 draw against Yemen. In the final match of the competition, they beat Turkmenistan 3-0 courtesy of goals from Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Abhishek Halder, and Edmund Lalrindika.
India's 22-man squad for 2020 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Bengaluru FC), Lalbiakhlua Jongte (Indian Arrows), Niraj Kumar (Jamshedpur FC)
Defenders: Muhammed Rafi (Bengaluru FC), Jitendra Singh (Jamshedpur FC), Akash Mishra (Indian Arrows), Narender (Jamshedpur FC), Bikash Yumnam (Minerva Punjab), Thoiba Singh Moirangthem (Minerva Punjab), Hormipam Ruivah (Minerva Punjab), Sumit Rathi (ATK)
Midfielders: Vikram Partap Singh (Indian Arrows), Ninthoinganba Meetei (Northeast United FC), Amarjit Singh Kiyam (Jamshedpur FC), Givson Singh Moirangthem (Indian Arrows), Ricky John Shabong (Indian Arrows), Ravi Bahadur Rana (Jamshedpur FC), Lalrampana Pautu (SAIL Football Academy), Muhammed Basith Parathodi
Forwards: Aman Chetri (Chennaiyin FC), Manvir Singh (Ozone FC), Gurkirat Singh (Indian Arrows)
Head Coach: Floyd Pinto