India, Sept. 13 -- The Indian U17 men's football team head coach Bibiano Fernandes on Friday named a 23-member squad for the SAFF U17 Championship in Sri Lanka. The Blue Colts, who have been training in Goa for almost two months, will reach Colombo on Saturday afternoon. India are placed in Group B where they will face Maldives (September 16), Bhutan (September 19) and Pakistan (September 22). The semi-finals will be held on September 25, followed by the final on September 27. All matches will be played at the Racecourse International Stadium. India are the defending champions, having defeated Bangladesh 2-0 to win the SAFF U17 title in Bhutan last year.

The long-term goal of the Blue Colts is to qualify for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026, t...