AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group D Standings: India reign supreme on points table after draw against Palestine

Despite leading at HT, India U-17 settle for a draw against Palestine U-17!

Action in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers got underway on November 22 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Four of the five teams were in action, including hosts India, who presently top the standings after starting the campaign with a draw. Iran U-17 are yet to play and currently sit at the bottom of the points table.

Lebanon U-17 and Chinese Taipei U-17 were engaged in an early kickoff in the group’s opening match. The Lebanese had a terrible evening because they were left ruing with opposition managing to rescue a point.

However, it seemed like a great chance for India to outshine Palestine and collect all three points to move up in the standings. Despite playing superbly for the majority of the game, they failed to maintain their half-time advantage and were forced to settle for a draw against Palestine U-17.

What does India’s draw mean to their chances of qualification?

With only the group leaders being eligible to qualify for the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, a victory against Palestine would have been the ideal start for hosts India. Although Palestine are not pushovers, the way India played the game, it felt as if the Blue Colts lost two points rather than gaining one.

After a draw, Bibiano Fernandes must return to the drawing board and prepare his boys for positive results in their next two games to give themselves a chance of qualifying before they meet Iran. A win over Chinese Taipei should not be difficult, provided the players stick to their basics. Lebanon could be a difficult opponent, but it’s not impossible to beat them.

Also Read: AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: Lessons learnt from India’s draw against Palestine

AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group D Standings:

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