India drawn with Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal in FIFA U15 World Cup
New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) India have been drawn in Group K alongside Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal in the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup, which will be held in Baku in October.
The India U15 men’s team will play five matches over three days in the qualification stage at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku.
India will begin their campaign against Laos on October 24. The following day, they will play twice, taking on Cameroon before facing Grenada, with all matches scheduled to be played on Pitch 1B.
India will complete the qualification stage with another double-header on October 26. They will face Bahrain on Pitch 9A, then take on Senegal on Pitch 8A.
With the tournament open to all FIFA Member Associations, 191 national teams have been divided into 32 groups. 943 matches will be played across 20 match pitches over six competition days.
Matches at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival will be played in an 8v8 format, with two 20-minute halves separated by a five-minute half-time break. The pitch will measure 68 metres by 50 metres, and rolling substitutions will be permitted throughout the match.
The participating teams will arrive in Baku on October 22, followed by an official training day on October 23. The qualification stage will run from October 24 to 26, with a rest day on October 27.
The tournament stage will take place on October 28 and 29, with the tier finals scheduled for October 30.
India are currently in camp at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru. They will also play international friendly matches at home before travelling to Azerbaijan with a final squad of 14 players.
While the first edition of the U15 World Cup is open to boys’ teams from all FIFA Member Associations, the second instalment in 2027 will feature girls’ teams only. From 2028 onwards, all Member Associations will be invited to participate with both their boys’ and girls’ U-15 teams in two separate competitions.
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