A new era will usher in Indian football when the young turks take to the field to represent the nation in the upcoming FIFA - 17 World Cup, starting October 6. It is indeed a matter of great honour for the twenty-one players who have made the cut to participate in the showpiece event starting from October 6.The tournament is also the first major FIFA soccer event India is hosting for the very first time.
India has been drawn in Group A alongside USA, Colombia and Ghana, and will face USA in the opener on October 06, followed by Colombia and Ghana on October 09 and October 12 respectively at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
In an effort to field a strong Indian side for the prestigious tournament, the AIFF had provided exposure to the young colts by arranging for international tours where they locked horns against formidable teams like Macedonia, Serbia and Benfica amongst other teams. They had also participated in a four-nation tournament in Mexico where they lost to the home side and Colombia, but held Chile to a 1-1 draw with 10 men.
So the team has prepared hard and looks in good form and shape to give the top sides a run for their money. So here is a look at the Indian team which shall represent the country in the upcoming FIFA World Cup
INDIAN FOOTBALL TEAM FOR FIFA UNDER -17 WORLD CUP
GOALKEEPERS: Dheeraj Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Sunny Dhaliwal
DEFENDERS: Boris Singh, Jitendra Singh, Anwar Ali, Sanjeev Stalin, Hendry Antonay, Namit Deshpande
MIDFIELDERS: Suresh Singh, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Abhijit Sarkar, Komal Thatal, Lalengmawia, Jeakson Singh, Nongdamba Naorem, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Md. Shahjahan
FORWARDS: Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav