India U17 Football Team Prepares for SAFF Championship and AFC Qualifiers
The Indian U17 men’s football team has been training in Srinagar for the past two weeks under the guidance of head coach Ishfaq Ahmed. The team is gearing up for the SAFF U17 Championship in Bhutan starting on September 18 and the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Thailand from October 23-27.
Coach Ishfaq Ahmed expressed satisfaction with the camp’s progress, stating, “I am happy with how everything is going so far. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. We don’t have any injury issues.” The camp currently focuses on building fitness, with plans to shift to tactical training soon.
The squad consists of 32 players, half of whom were part of the SAFF U16 Championship-winning team last year. The team aims to play a mature brand of football and is preparing for tougher competitions ahead. After the SAFF Championship, the team will have four weeks to prepare for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, where they will face Brunei Darussalam, Turkmenistan, and hosts Thailand.
“We want to have more friendly matches against stronger teams to prepare for the Asian Cup Qualifiers. These boys are not afraid of losing matches,” said Ishfaq. The players were selected based on their performance in the AIFF U17 Youth League, ensuring a thorough scouting process.
Doubts Revealed
U17 -: U17 means ‘Under 17’. It refers to players who are under the age of 17.
SAFF Championship -: SAFF stands for South Asian Football Federation. It’s a football tournament for teams from South Asia.
AFC Qualifiers -: AFC stands for Asian Football Confederation. The qualifiers are matches to decide which teams will play in the main tournament.
Srinagar -: Srinagar is a city in the northern part of India, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bhutan -: Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas, located to the east of India.
Thailand -: Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, known for its tropical beaches and rich culture.
Ishfaq Ahmed -: Ishfaq Ahmed is the head coach of the Indian U17 men’s football team. He helps the players train and get better at football.
Tactics -: Tactics are plans and strategies used in football to win matches. They include how players should move and play.
Friendly matches -: Friendly matches are games played for practice and not for any tournament or competition.
