Uzbekistan's youth national team (U17) has made a stellar start to the Asian Cup group stage, securing a spot in the FIFA U17 World Cup after just one match.

In the match held on May 10, head coach Sergey Chigodayev's squad defeated India 3-0, with goals from Laziz Abduraimov (penalty) and Akhror Ravshanbekov, plus an own goal by an Indian defender.

Group D features three teams: Uzbekistan, India, and Australia. Earlier, Australia had thrashed India 4-0. This result guarantees Uzbekistan at least second place in the group, which is enough to qualify for the World Cup and advance to the Asian Cup quarterfinals. Originally, four teams were scheduled to compete, but North Korea withdrew from the tournament.

The U17 Asian Cup is being held in Saudi Arabia. Chigodayev's team will play their final group match against Australia on May 13.

The U17 World Cup is scheduled for November-December this year in Qatar.

Source: kun.uz