India U-20 vs Bangladesh U-20 Player Ratings: Danny impresses, Shami disappoints in AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers
Blue colts ease past Bangladesh U-20 with a 3-0 win.
The India U-20 led by Mahesh Gawli, were coming into the final group stage game against Bangladesh in a do-or-die clash as India had to win at all costs to keep their chances of qualifying to the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup higher and higher. A 4-0 loss against Uzbekistan in the last game meant India not just had to win but also had to win in a decent margin.
And that’s exactly what Mahesh Gawli and his boys went on to achieve as they eased past Bangladesh with a comfortable 3-0 win. Despite struggling for goals initially in the game, goals from Danny in the first half and Vishal and Arbash in the second half ensured all three points for the Blue Colts.
With this win, India’s chances of making it to the final tournament are more and more likely, with just a confirmation pending based on the results in other groups. India will not qualify as group winners but will rather qualify as one of the seven best second-placed teams.
Indian head coach Mahesh Gawli made one change to the side that suffered a 4-0 defeat against hosts Uzbekistan in the previous group stage game. Rishi Singh was introduced into the starting lineup in place of Prashan Jojo, who had a tough outing in the last game.
Indian Player Ratings:
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GK: Suraj Singh – 6/10
Suraj Singh had a solid outing between the sticks for the Indian team, as he was not troubled too much by the shots or crosses from the opposition. Calm and composed with his catching every time the ball was fired at him, he played a couple of long balls and was good with the ball at his feet overall.
RB: Yaipharemba Chingakham – 8/10
Yaipharemba was very good defensively and made a few good runs forward as well. He did a brilliant job of keeping Bangladesh’s most lethal attacker, Adam Ibrahim, quiet with his strong physicality and aggressive defending, but struggled a bit against substitute Joy Ahamed.
There were barely a few occasions where he was out of position or beaten in 1v1 situations, but he had a good overall game and a good connection with Rishi Singh as well. It was his long throw that led to India’s second goal, while his cross led to the third goal as well, although he doesn’t get the assist for either goal.
CB: Bungson Singh – 7/10
Solid game from Bungson at the back. He was proactive with his defending, stepping up from the back to avert danger higher up the pitch. He was rarely caught out of position, picked up the right passes and kept things tight at the back.
CB: Sumit Sharma – 6/10
Sumit Sharma, the captain of the team and the leader of the defense, did just enough to ensure his side preserved a clean sheet. The Kerala Blasters defender had a couple of opportunities from set-pieces and was also firing in some dangerous long throws but was defensively caught out on multiple occasions in 1v1 situations.
LB: Malemngamba Singh – 6/10
Malemngamba, who was previously used further up the pitch in the SAFF U-20 Championship under head coach Mahesh Gawli, has now been deployed in his usual left-back spot in this competition and has been decent except for the Uzbekistan game.
Against Bangladesh, the left side of the Indian defense was tested very little, and he did a solid job at left-back. His attacking game was non-existent, and he had zero link-up play with Vishal Yadav on the left wing, who was also non-existent for the first hour or so.
CM: Rishikanta Meitei – 7/10
Rishikanta, who was booked very early in the game, went on to have one of his best performances in the middle of the park this tournament. He was very physical against the Bangladeshi players, making the most of his aerial and physical prowess to win crucial interceptions and make blocks.
He had a few opportunities from attacking set-pieces, and one of them turned into the assist for the second goal, where he flicked Yaipharemba’s long throw perfectly for Vishal, who scored a brilliant goal to double India’s lead.
CM: Singamayum Shami – 6/10
Shami, who scored the winner in India’s win against Syria in the opening game of the tournament, looked off-colour today against Bangladesh, where he failed to have a big impact in attack in the final third. Shami often dropped too deep in the middle of the park to get hold of possession and progress the ball forward.
Overall, it was not Shami’s best performance in terms of expressing his individual abilities, but he understood the role he was deployed in by Mahesh Gawli and did a decent job in the Indian midfield.
CM: Danny Meetei – 8/10
Danny Meetei, the most advanced midfielder in the Indian midfield, had an exceptional performance, ticking all the boxes in defense, midfield and attack. He was physical with his tackles and interceptions, while his abilities and technicality on the ball were the best among the Indian players on the pitch. Danny created a lot of chances and took a few shots from in and around the edge of the box.
Danny opened the scoring for India around the 30-minute mark, brilliantly converting Hateem Ali’s layoff with a brilliant left-footed low strike through the legs of the opposition keeper.
LW: Vishal Yadav – 7/10
Vishal Yadav, who has been India’s best attacking threat for the India U-20 team over the last few games, had a very off game for the first hour or so, as the number of attacks through India’s left was very minimal and there was next to nothing apart from a few shots here and there.
However, he proved his quality with a brilliant bicycle kick to double India’s lead around the 60th-minute mark. Following the goal, he looked more confident with his dribbles and actions but was taken off for Prashan Jojo later.
RW: Rishi Singh – 7/10
Coming into the team in place of Prashan Jojo, Rishi Singh was the only change made by Mahesh Gawli coming into the game. Rishi Singh, to his credit, repaid the faith shown by his coach with a brilliant performance.
Rishi was brilliant on the right wing, contributing to more than 70–80% of India’s attacks through that channel. His build-up play with Yaipharemba was effective, and the runs he made to get past Bangladesh defenders were easy on the eye.
His set-pieces were also threatening, and he came close to scoring on a couple of occasions, with his final delivery lacking conviction.
CF: Hateem Ali – 7/10
Hateem Ali, the UAE-born Indian striker who was featuring for the Blue Tigers for the first time in the 2026 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, was really effective with his hold-up play throughout the game but was unable to add a goal to his name despite having a couple of opportunities.
Hateem provided the assist for the first goal, which was converted by Danny Meetei to give India the lead. Other than the assist, Hateem had a good effect on the overall game, making the most of his hold-up play and creating opportunities for his wingers.
Indian Substitutes Ratings:
Prashan Jojo – 6/10
Prashan, who came on for Vishal Yadav on the left wing, had a decent impact on the game during the 20-odd minutes he was on the pitch. He was close to scoring India’s third goal, but his poor touch from Yaipharemba’s cross fell to Arbash, who converted it. He also made a good run to set up Hateem, who couldn’t convert the chance into a goal.
Md. Arbash – 7/10
Arbash had an instant impact on the game after replacing Danny Meetei and playing as India’s advanced midfielder. He sealed the game for the Blue Tigers, scoring the third goal with a brilliant left-footed volley after the ball ricocheted inside the opposition box before falling to Arbash.
Omang Dodum – 6/10
Omang, who was India’s main striker before the arrival of Hateem Ali, played just 10 minutes against Bangladesh as the Indian head coach preferred to keep Hateem on the pitch for the major chunk of the game. Just like the last game, he immediately showed his quality by dropping deep and with his hold-up play.
Dodum played a brilliant line-breaking pass to release Daniyal into acres of space; however, the latter failed to convert his chance.
Aniket Yadav – 6/10
Coming on for Rishikanta in the middle of the park, Aniket didn’t have too many defensive actions in the game but did just enough to preserve the scoreline, retain India’s three-goal advantage and maintain the clean sheet.
Daniyal Makakmayum – 6/10
The last of the five substitutes to come onto the pitch, Daniyal had a beautiful opportunity in the final minutes of the game to score India’s fourth. However, he couldn’t find his scoring boots to further increase India’s chances of qualification with a fourth goal.
Who scored for India U20 against Bangladesh U20?
Danny Meitei, Vishal Yadav and MD Arbash scored for India U20.
Is India U20 qualified for the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027?
India’s qualification is not yet confirmed. The outcome of the final group-stage match between Syria U20 and Uzbekistan U20 will determine their qualification status.
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