Nickname(s) Koushik Boina FIFA code IND Appearances 12 (first in 1970) Location India | Sub-confederation SAFF (South Asia) Appearances 0 Best result Champions 1974 | |
Association All India Football Federation Confederation Asian Football Confederation | ||
The India national Under-20 football team, also known as India Under-20s or India U20(s), is considered to be one of the feeder teams for the India national football team behind the India national under-23 football team.
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This team is for Indian players aged under 19 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-year AFC U-19 Championship campaign begins, so some players can remain with the squad until the age of 21. As long as they are eligible, players can play for India at any level, making it possible to play for the U19s, senior side, and again for the U19s. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (providing the player is eligible).
History
As an Asian U19 team, India compete for the Asian Championship, with the finals every even-numbered year, formerly odd-numbered years. There is no Under-19 World Cup, although there is an Under-20 World Cup. For the first 12 (1959-1970) Asian Under-19 Football Championships, India did not participate.
Then in 1971 the All India Football Federation decided to send a youth squad to the Asian Championships that year in Japan. The team managed to make it to the quarter-finals before losing out to Japan.
They participated in the championships again in 1972, this time in Thailand. Even after there good tournament in 1971 they could not go past the group stage this time around. They then participated in 1973 where Iran was hosting the championships. India managed to make the semi-finals before bowing out.
This then moved on to 1974 where India won the championship after drawing Iran in the final 2-2. Even though it ended in a draw the AFC still called it a victory for both teams.
After winning the championship India went back again in 1975 but this time could not get past the group stage. The next two years would be normal for India as they finished in Quarter Final and Group Stage respectively. They would then though go on a run of not entering the next three tournaments.
India's luck world sense have been lacking as they have qualified for the championship eight times sense 1985 to 2011 out of thirteen tournaments. The highest they have made it in that time the group stage. In 2008, the federation built up a self-sufficient training centre at Goa. The centre has all the facilities to train and house both the under-19 and the under-16 teams. Even with the training ground though they failed to make the last tournament in 2010 after finishing fourth out of six in there qualifying group.
The under-19 team participated in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualification games to be played at Tehran, Iran. India did not qualify for the main rounds, finished 3rd in their group. In October 2013, under-19 team is going to participate in the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship qualification, which will held in Qatar.
AFC U-19 Championship Record
Current Squad
This is the 26 member squad selected for the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualification held in Palestine from 2 to 6 October 2015. "Caps and goals accurate as of 6 October 2015, after the game against Afghanistan U19s"