Mehrajuddin Wadoo begins his first competitive assignment as India U17 head coach against Singapore, with the Blue Colts aiming to secure a place at the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027.

Kolkata, November 10: India U17 begin their AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027 qualifying campaign against Singapore on Wednesday, with Mehrajuddin Wadoo set to take charge of his first competitive assignment as head coach of the national side. The Blue Colts will face Singapore in their opening Group E fixture at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Malaysia, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 PM IST.

Only the group winners will secure qualification for the tournament in Uzbekistan next May, leaving India with four crucial fixtures to navigate. The match will be streamed live on the FAMTV Malaysia YouTube Channel.

India are targeting their second consecutive appearance in the AFC U17 Asian Cup and an 11th qualification in the tournament’s history. Among the five teams in Group E, they are the only side to have featured in the 2026 edition. However, their campaign ended in the group stage following defeats against Australia and Uzbekistan.

India U17 enter the qualifiers after an extensive preparation programme under Wadoo, who took charge of the squad’s development ahead of the campaign. Preparations began in Goa in September, where more than 100 players were assessed during a month-long selection process before the final 23-member squad was announced.

India then travelled to Myanmar in early October for two friendly matches against the hosts. The first encounter ended in a 1-1 draw before the Blue Colts produced a convincing 4-0 victory in the second. Their preparations continued in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, where they played two more friendlies against the hosts. India held the UAE to a goalless draw in the first match before securing an impressive 4-1 win in the return fixture.

Wadoo believes the international exposure has helped the squad make considerable progress ahead of the competition. Reflecting on the preparations, he highlighted the importance of friendly matches in giving players valuable experience against different opposition.

The head coach also felt that the performance against the UAE was particularly encouraging, considering the quality of the opposition. He praised the players for their character, determination and fighting spirit, adding that the result had provided the team with a confidence boost before the qualifiers.

India’s first opponents, Singapore, have already made a strong statement in Group E. They opened their campaign on Tuesday with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Guam. In the other fixture, Palestine defeated hosts Malaysia 2-0, making India’s opening encounter even more important in the race for the only qualifying spot.

Wadoo has already watched Singapore in action against Guam and acknowledged the challenge they pose. However, he maintained that India’s priority would be to execute their own game plan and play to their strengths rather than focus excessively on the opposition.

Alongside technical, tactical and physical preparations, the Indian coach has also been working on strengthening the players’ mentality. He believes that talent and hard work alone are not sufficient at this level, with self-belief and confidence playing an equally important role when representing the country.

For Wadoo, the Group E campaign also marks the beginning of a new chapter in his football career. Having represented India as a player, he now takes on the responsibility of leading the national team from the touchline. The former India international described the opportunity as an honour and expressed his determination to guide the young players towards their collective target of qualifying for the AFC U17 Asian Cup.

Following Wednesday’s fixture against Singapore, India will take on Guam on November 14, Palestine on November 17 and hosts Malaysia on November 20 to complete their Group E campaign.

With four matches separating them from a place in the continental tournament, the Blue Colts will look to turn their encouraging preparatory results into performances that can take them one step closer to Uzbekistan 2027.