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Kolkata’s Bibiano Fernandes aims for World Cup qualification as India advances to the AFC U-17 Asian Cup after defeating Iran, marking “unfinished business.”
Kolkata: Bibiano Fernandes has “unfinished business.” In 2018, the only goal India conceded in the Asian under-16 junior men’s football finals came in the 68th minute of the quarter-final against South Korea. It dashed hopes of an under-17 World Cup berth. The new format guarantees Asian quarter-finalists World Cup qualification meaning if India can get out of the group, Fernandes’s boys will make history.
“This shows we are closer to qualifying for the World Cup,” said the India head coach one day after a come-from-behind 2-1 win in Ahmedabad against Iran sealed a finals berth in the 16-team AFC under-17 Asian Cup that will be held in Saudi Arabia from May 7-24, 2026.
“Iran and South Korea are almost on the same level. And if we can win against Iran, you never know, we can be in the top eight if we work on the squad and play friendlies against stronger teams,” Fernandes, 48, told HT from Goa over the phone on Monday.
In the next week, Fernandes will speak to the All India Football Federation (AIFF). “We should have another round of scouting and trials. And start training with a squad of 35 from January.
“If we can play friendlies against teams that have qualified, it will be really good preparation. We need to be alert and send requests to teams, planning for which needs to start straight away.”
The former international midfielder passed credit for qualifying at Iran’s expense to the players and staff. But though this will be his fourth Asian finals (he also took India to the finals in 2020, when the tournament was not held because of Covid-19, and in 2023), it felt different.
“The crowd, the fans, the stadium, the environment was completely amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this before,” he said.
Preparation for the qualifiers began in August by trailing 90 players. India went for the SAFF Championship in September and, after winning that in Sri Lanka, trained in Goa where they also played a couple of senior teams preparing for the Super Cup. From November 1, the squad trained in Ahmedabad, the coach said.
In charge from 2017 to 2023, Fernandes returned to this post this year after being Bengaluru FC reserve team coach. “Working for the reserve team was good but since it feeds the first team, I could not implement my ideas,” he said. “Also, there was this unfinished business because we were really close to qualifying for the World Cup.”
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