Three Best Players for India against Palestine in AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers

India took the lead in the first half.

The Indian U17 National Football team played out a 1-1 draw with the U17 side of Palestine at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad on 22nd November, 2025. The two teams fought it out in their opener of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

India took the lead right before the break in the 45th minute, with Shubham Poonia heading the ball past Palestine’s goalkeeper Hamza Sobhieh. Amir Jomah equalised in the 74th minute after a remarkable run. With no team mustering enough strength in attack for another goal, the two sides shared the spoils.

With only one team out of the six in Group D to advance into the finals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia, the Indian colts will have to dig deeper in the upcoming games and collect wins. These were the three most impressive players for the Blue Colts on Saturday.

Azlaan Shah

Azlaan Shah proved to be a menace to the Palestinian backline, taking a number of shots himself and also crucially setting up Poonia for India’s goal. Along with Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam, the two wingers combined on several occasions.

Azlaan shifted from the right wing to the left and launched multiple darting runs in the second half. His whipped corner in the first half was one to remember.

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

Rajrup Sarkar

The Indian shot stopper had a busy day in the office as Palestine kept the pressure alive on the Indian goal for large parts of the game. Sarkar had to deal with a number of corners and long-range attempts, and yet came out on top of most of those encounters.

The goal he conceded was largely via a mistake of the defence as they lost the ball near the halfway line in a precarious position. This opened up a two vs two situation as Amir Jomah picked up the ball and ran towards the Indian goal, before slotting it expertly into the far bottom corner.

Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam

Gunleiba’s wily dribbling was a sight to behold as the opposition fullbacks fell once and again for his trickery. Shifting wings with Azlaan, it did not blemish his performance, which was nothing short of impressive.

He unleashed a couple of shots himself but could not trouble Sobhieh. However, his corners were consistently well delivered, as he kept pushing to create chances for his teammates.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.