The Indian team endured another setback at the ongoing FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, losing their classification encounter against Afghanistan by a 1-2 margin on Thursday. The fixture, contested for the 81st to 88th position bracket, leaves the Indian side turning their focus toward an upcoming placement semifinal clash against Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan Seize Control with Early First-Half Goals
From the opening whistle, Afghanistan established a decisive tempo, putting steady pressure across the pitch and keeping Indian defenders under constant strain. Their persistent attacking strategy yielded results in the 15th minute, when Mohammad Mustafa found the back of the net to hand Afghanistan an early 1-0 advantage. Energised by the breakthrough, the Afghan side maintained their offensive momentum rather than sitting back.
While the Indian players sought an opening to level the score, Afghanistan struck again to consolidate their lead. In the 27th minute of play, Shahzada Sultani capitalised on an attacking opportunity to drive the ball past the goalkeeper, making it 2-0. Facing a two-goal deficit within the first half hour presented a steep uphill challenge for India, necessitating faster transitions and sharper finishing up front.
Nibas Meitei Pulls One Back in Late Comeback Effort
Despite the difficult scoreline, India continued pushing forward to get back into contention. Their persistence bore fruit in the 36th minute when Nibas Meitei Wahengbam converted an opportunity to open India's scoring tally. That clinical finish reduced the deficit to 1-2 and revitalised hopes of staging a full comeback.
However, the elusive equalising goal never arrived. Afghanistan's defensive structure held firm across the remaining minutes of the match, resisting Indian pressure to protect their one-goal cushion and secure a 2-1 victory by the time the final whistle sounded.
Next Challenge: Placement Semifinal Against Kazakhstan
Following this result, India's immediate priority shifts to the 85th to 88th classification semifinal against Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan enter the encounter following their own recent defeat against Hungary, meaning both teams will be aiming to correct their defensive lapses and finish the tournament on a stronger note.
