India juniors a step away from AFC Cup finals

A thumping 3-0 win over hosts Saudi Arabia at Damman today landed the India U-16 football team at the doorstep...

A thumping 3-0 win over hosts Saudi Arabia at Damman today landed the India U-16 football team at the doorstep of the AFC Under-16 Championships 2008 finals.

Striker Malsawmfela scored a goal in each half while Lalrindika Ralte added a third in the 65th minute at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Stadium to put it firmly across a team that had won their first three matches in Group C.

With just one match left for the six teams in the group, India now have 10 points from four games and are second in the group behind Iraq on goal difference.

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Saudi Arabia, with nine points from four matches, are lying third. Iraq will take on Saudi Arabia in their last match tomorrow. Irrespective of the result, India’s chances for finishing among the top two are bright as they play their final group on Wednesday against Bhutan, who have lost all their matches so far.

The Himalayan kingdom lost 1-4 to Lebanon while Iraq beat Sri Lanka 7-0. A draw should be enough for India to qualify from the group.

India juniors have performed way beyond expectations, beating Sri Lanka 6-0, holding Iraq 2-2, beating Lebanon 3-0 (India seniors had lost to Lebanon 1-4 away in their World Cup qualifiers and drawn 2-2 at home in Goa) before trouncing the hosts 3-0.

Forty-five teams were drawn into eight sections and divided into six technical levels on rankings based from the AFC U-17 Championship 2006.

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The winners and runners-up of the seven groups qualify for the finals along with the winners of the three-team group H which comprises Korea Republic, Thailand and Chinese Taipei. The yet to be identified hosts also qualify automatically for the finals.

South Korea, North Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Bahrain and Singapore have already qualified for the finals.