The Indian U20 men’s team have been drawn with Uzbekistan, Syria and Bangladesh in Group B of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers after the draw conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.
Uzbekistan will host Group B in the capital city of Tashkent between August 25 and September 6, 2026, in a centralised single round-robin format. As per the new format of the AFC youth competitions announced earlier this year, a two-phase system featuring a promotion and relegation mechanism has been introduced in the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, according to the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
In the Qualification Phase, which India is part of, 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four, with the group winners and the seven best second-placed teams among all groups advancing to the 43rd edition of the AFC U20 Asian Cup. At the same time, the six lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams among all groups will be relegated to the Development Phase of the subsequent edition.
For the Development Phase in the Qualifiers, 12 teams are divided into three groups of four, with the three group winners and the three second-placed teams of each group to be promoted to the Qualification Phase of the next edition.
Seeding for the teams was based on the performances in the three most recent editions (2018, 2023, 2025) and the number of teams entering the competition. The Blue Colts, ranked 20th, were allocated Pot 3 in the Qualification Phase.
India will aim to qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup for the first time since 2006, when they hosted the tournament. Their best result at the tournament was joint champions alongside Iran in 1974.
In the previous edition (2025), the Blue Colts narrowly missed out on qualification on the basis of goal difference.
India’s schedule in the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers:
Matchday 1: Syria vs India
Matchday 2: India vs Uzbekistan
Matchday 3: India vs Bangladesh
Qualification Phase:
Group A: Korea Republic, Kyrgyz Republic (H), Philippines, Lebanon
Group B: Uzbekistan (H), Syria, India, Bangladesh
Group C: IR Iran, Vietnam (H), DPR Korea, Palestine
Group D: Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain (H), Afghanistan
Group E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar (H), Oman, Hong Kong
Group F: Iraq, Thailand (H), UAE, Turkmenistan
Group G: Japan, Yemen, Cambodia (H), Kuwait
Group H: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos (H)
Development Phase:
Group I: Mongolia (H), Guam, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands
Group J: Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Bhutan (H), Macau
Group K: Myanmar (H), Maldives, Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka