Captain wangkhem denny singh

AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: The India U17 men’s team are set to begin their SAFF U17 Championship 2025 campaign against Maldives in Group B on Tuesday at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo at 15:00 IST.

All seven SAFF nations are taking part in this year's edition. Group A consists of hosts Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, while Group B will see the Blue Colts go up against Maldives, Bhutan, and Pakistan. The top two from each will advance to the semi-finals on September 25. The final will be held on September 27. India are the defending champions, having won the SAFF U17 title in Bhutan last year after beating Bangladesh 2-0 in the final.

The Blue Colts' head coach, Bibiano Fernandes, is gunning for his record fifth SAFF title, the fourth one coming as recently as May 2025, when he led India to the SAFF U19 title in Arunachal Pradesh. He was also in charge of the Indian side that lifted the SAFF U17 Championship 2022 in Sri Lanka.