AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The India U-17 National Team is all set to face Leganes U-18 in a training game at the Ciudad Deportivo Wanda, Otero de Herreros, in Segovia, Spain on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The match is set to kick off at 8.30 pm IST.

India U-17s, coached by Bibiano Fernandes, are preparing for the upcoming AFC U-17 Asian Cup to be held in Thailand in June-July this year, and are currently playing preparatory matches in Spain.

"We are very much looking forward to the match against Leganes U-18, and will approach the game with the same mentality," said Fernandes. "Our main aim is to prepare the team for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, and we want to keep building toward that direction regardless of our opponents,” he said.

The first of these training games, which are part of the preparations, was against Atletico de Madrid U-17s, which the Blue Colts won 4-1, last week.

“The last victory gave the boys some confidence, but we need to keep pushing in order to do well in Asia," Fernandes said.

After facing Leganes, India will play three more games in Spain against Atletico Madrid U-17 (April 27), Real Madrid U-17 (May 3), and Getafe U-18 (May 10), before moving to Germany.

India have been placed in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, alongside the likes of Vietnam (June 17), Uzbekistan (June 20), and Japan (June 23), with the matches set to be played in Pathum Thani and Bangkok, Thailand.