India U20 men’s team begins preparations for AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers

The Indian U20 men's football team is training in Bengaluru under head coach Mahesh Gawali ahead of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. A 26-member group is currently in camp, with 15 players temporarily released for the RFDL Japan Tour

Hyderabad: The Indian U20 men’s team’s preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers are underway in Bengaluru, with the camp commencing with trials on June 11 at The Sports School and the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence.

A total of 102 players from across the country have participated in the trials since the camp began. Following the evaluation process, 26 players are currently training with the U20 men’s national team under head coach Mahesh Gawali.

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Fifteen players have been temporarily released from the camp at the request of their clubs to participate in the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) Japan Tour. The group comprises eight players from Punjab FC, six from Bengaluru FC, and one from FC Goa. They will rejoin the national team camp upon their return from Japan next week.

Further evaluations will take place before the Blue Colts’ preliminary squad for the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers is finalised and announced.

India have been drawn in Group B of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers alongside Uzbekistan, Syria and Bangladesh. The qualifiers will be played in a centralised single round-robin format in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from August 31 to September 6, 2026.

The eight group winners and the seven best second-placed teams across all groups will qualify for the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup China 2027.