Australia drub India in AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 opener

India were handed a reality check by Australia in their opening match of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.

Chasing a historic FIFA U-17 World Cup spot, India’s confidence was punctured by a fifth-minute strike from Luke Becvinovski, before Max Court converted a penalty at the half an hour mark. In the second half, the Joeys scored through Luka Demuth and Henrique Oliveira to ensure a comfortable 4-0 win.

The win puts Australia in a comfortable position in the three-team Group C with India needing victory against Uzbekistan on Sunday to stay in contention for a knockout stage spot and a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Bibiano Fernandes’ wards will look at the scoreline and wonder how they drew a blank.

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