India U20 held 0-0 by Yemen ahead of AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers
Synopsis
The India U20 men's team played a 0-0 draw against Yemen in a friendly match in Bengaluru. The Blue Colts will face Yemen again on August 23 as they continue preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers in Uzbekistan.
The India U20 men's team were held to a 0-0 draw by Yemen in the first of two closed-door friendly matches at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Thursday, August 20, 2026. According to a press release from AIFF Media, India will meet Yemen again on Sunday, August 23, at 16:30 IST.
Preparations for AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers
The Blue Colts are preparing for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, which will be held in Uzbekistan from August 31 to September 6. They will depart for Tashkent on August 26.
This was India's third friendly match of the training camp, following two victories over Singapore at the same venue on August 3 and 6, with the Blue Colts winning 3-0 and 1-0, respectively. In the second match, Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum (5') scored the winning goal for India U20.
India and Yemen have only met once before at this age group -- a goalless draw in the AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers in 2017.
Qualifier Schedule and Travel
Following the friendlies, the Blue Colts will travel to Tashkent on August 26, five days before the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, to acclimatise to the local conditions and get additional training time in the Tashkent weather.
In the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, India will open their campaign against Syria on August 31, before facing Uzbekistan on September 3 and Bangladesh on September 6.