India qualify for 2020 AFC U16 Championships after 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan
India managed to hold on a strong Uzbekistan side in their own den to qualify for the 2020 AFC U16 Championships in Bahrain. The âBlue Tigersâ topped Group B with 7 points from 3 games, edging past the hosts with a superior goal difference of +10 after hammering 5 goals each in the first two games.
Starting the game after a couple of massive wins against Turkenistan and Bahrian, the Bibiano Fernandes coached side needed a draw to top the group. The Indian colts drew first blood when forward Sridarth scored the opening goal in the 68st minute. Uzbekistan leveled the scoreline in the 81st minute but India showed nerves of steel to snatch the vital point from the fixture.
With the result, the U16 team extended their unbeaten streak to 14 games. Coach Bibiano Fernandes lauded the efforts of the players and also the support staff.Â
âI am extremely proud of my boys. There has been a lot of hard work put in, and every support staff, and player deserves equal credit,â said the coach, reported scroll.Â
He feels that the exposure tours organised by the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) has helped the players mature as footballers.
âThe efforts put in by AIFF at the youth level by providing us continuous exposure tours with help from Sports Authority of India has helped the boys mature,â said Bibiano.
This is Indiaâs third consecutive entry to the AFC U16 Championships and the ninth overall. In the last edition in 2018, India narrowly lost to South Korea in the quarter- finals.