India’s hopes of qualifying for the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2026 were dealt a blow after a 0-2 loss to Lebanon on Friday at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.
India came into this fixture on the back of a spirited and impressive 3-1 comeback win against Chinese Taipei on Wednesday. Captain Dallalmuon Gangte delivered one of the standout performances of the Qualifiers so far, scoring a magnificent hat-trick that lifted the Blue Colts to four points from two matches. The victory was India’s first of the campaign, following its 1-1 draw with Palestine in the opening round.
However, despite this loss, the Bibiano Fernandes-coached Indian side still has a chance to qualify for the continental event.
It plays Iran in a must-win match on Sunday. Iran currently has seven points from three matches after it beat Palestine earlier in the day. India, after the defeat, has four points from three matches.
If India wins the match then it’ll go through courtesy the number of points in the head-to-head match with tied teams, which in this case would be Iran.
Indian midfielder Thonggoumang Touthang will miss the Iran fixture after he received a direct red card in the final moments of the match against Lebanon due to a push on Paul Maakaroun.
Published on Nov 28, 2025