2 weeks ago
India U20 to Face Yemen in Bengaluru Friendlies
The Indian under-20 men's football team is getting ready for a big tournament called the AFC U20 Asian Cup.
To prepare, they will play two practice games against Yemen in a city called Bengaluru.
These games will happen on August 20 and 23, and no fans will be allowed to watch.
Earlier, the team beat Singapore twice in practice games, winning 3-0 and 1-0.
The team is called the Blue Colts.
After the Yemen games, they will fly to Tashkent to get used to the place and practice more.
Then they will start their real tournament games.
Their first game is against Syria on August 31.
After that, they will play Uzbekistan on September 3 and Bangladesh on September 6.
These games will help them try to qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup in China in 2027.
India U20 men's team will play two friendly matches against Yemen at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on August 20 and 23.
Both matches will be played behind closed doors.
These are India's third and fourth friendlies of the training camp, following two victories over Singapore (3-0 and 1-0) on August 3 and 6.
India and Yemen have met once before at this age-group, a goalless draw in the AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers in 2017.
India will travel to Tashkent on August 26 for acclimatisation before opening their AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers campaign against Syria on August 31, followed by Uzbekistan on September 3 and Bangladesh on September 6.
- Who
- The Indian U20 men's football team (Blue Colts) and the Yemen U20 team
- What
- Two friendly football matches between India and Yemen
- Where
- Centre for Sports Excellence, Bengaluru, India
- When
- August 20 and 23, 2026
- Why
- As preparation for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers
Preparation Focus
Competitive Focus
Purpose of friendlies
Preparation Focus
Friendlies are essential for team preparation and acclimatisation ahead of the qualifiers.
Competitive Focus
Friendlies are less important than the competitive qualifier matches themselves.
Key facts
- Event
- Two friendly matches: India U20 vs Yemen U20
- Venue
- Centre for Sports Excellence, Bengaluru
- Dates
- August 20 and 23
- Attendance
- Behind closed doors
- Previous India results
- Won 3-0 and 1-0 vs Singapore (Aug 3 and 6)
- Previous India-Yemen meeting
- Goalless draw in AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers 2017
- Travel to Tashkent
- August 26
- Qualifiers opponents
- Syria (Aug 31), Uzbekistan (Sep 3), Bangladesh (Sep 6)
Sources
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