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The preparations of the young boys for the AFC U16 Championship are in full swing. All India Football Federation (AIFF) has to be credited for arranging tours one after the other, with Serbia being the next destination for the boys.
The Indian boys truly had a truly inspiring run at the Jockey Cup in which they defied all odds by beating strong teams like Hong Kong and Singapore. They were up against junior sides of a number of clubs from Europe next.
The most recent pitstop for the Blue Colts was the Facsa Football Centre in Benicasim, Spain where they played in the Sport Chain Cup. The Sport Chain Cup had no positive results in terms of games won, but there were certainly a lot of positive takeaways for Bibiano Fernandes. The strengths and weaknesses of the Indian side became prevalent as they played against the strong USA U16 and Norway U16 sides.
The Blue Colts have a solid defense and an exceptional goalkeeper in Niraj, they even do not have trouble rotating the ball in the middle of the park, where they lack is finishing in the final third and inability to take shots on target frequently.
Fernandes will look to apply certain new tactics as we head into India's first clash at the Serbia tour which will be against the Jordan U16 side. India will face the hosts, Serbia on May 11 followed by Tajikistan on May 13 as part of the tour.
A much bigger challenge awaits India at the AFC U16 championship, where they will have to face extremely competent teams like Iran, Vietnam, and Indonesia as part of Group C. Hence, it is only justified for the young lads to be playing so many matches as they gear up for the best of the best.
Here is all you need to know about India's first encounter of the tour:
Date: 9 May 2018
Match: India U16 vs Jordan U16
Timing: 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST)
Venue: Serbia
Television Channel: No telecast
You can also follow all the live updates of the action-packed match on Sportskeeda.
