India U20 Men's Team Draws with Yemen in Friendly Match Ahead of AFC Qualifiers

The India U20 men's football team faced Yemen in a closed-door friendly, ending in a 0-0 draw. This match is part of their preparation for the upcoming AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Uzbekistan. The Blue Colts will play Yemen again soon, aiming to fine-tune their skills before the qualifiers begin. With previous victories against Singapore, the team is looking to build momentum as they head into a challenging tournament. Their first match in the qualifiers is against Syria on August 31. Stay tuned for more updates on their journey.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 20, 2026, 23:34 IST

India U20 Team's Friendly Match Results

New Delhi [India], August 20: The India U20 men's football team played to a 0-0 stalemate against Yemen in their first of two friendly matches held behind closed doors at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

As per a statement from AIFF Media, the two teams are set to clash again on Sunday, August 23, at 16:30 IST.

The Blue Colts are gearing up for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan from August 31 to September 6. They will leave for Tashkent on August 26.

This match marked the third friendly for India during their training camp, following two wins against Singapore at the same venue on August 3 and 6, where they triumphed 3-0 and 1-0, respectively. In the latter match, Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum netted the decisive goal in the 5th minute.

Historically, India and Yemen have faced each other once before at this age level, resulting in a goalless draw during the AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers in 2017.

After the friendly matches, the Blue Colts will head to Tashkent on August 26, allowing them to acclimatize to the local environment and gain extra training in the Tashkent climate.

In the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, India will kick off their campaign against Syria on August 31, followed by matches against Uzbekistan on September 3 and Bangladesh on September 6.