FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival: India sees off Bahrain to preserve unbeaten run
The Indian and Bahraini captains ahead of a FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 match. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Indian and Bahraini captains ahead of a FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 match. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
India maintained pole position in Group K of the FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Bahrain at the Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 9A in Baku on Monday.
Macdonnish Ngairangbam (16’) and R. Lalremruatfela (19’) gave India a two-goal half-time lead before Bahrain hit back through Rashed Abdulrahman (28’) and Zeyad Aun (29’). Lalremruatfela (38’) restored the lead before Nibas Meetei Wahengbam (39’) made it 4-2, with Aun pulling one back for the West Asians in the final minute.
In other simultaneous Group K fixtures, Senegal defeated Laos 9-0, while Cameroon beat Grenada 4-1. The afternoon’s results leave India top of the table with 10 points from four matches, followed by Senegal and Cameroon on nine points each.
Bahrain has four, while Laos and Grenada have one apiece. The Blue Colts will face Senegal in the fifth and final group stage fixture at 9pm IST on Monday. The match will be streamed live on dazn.com.
Both India and Bahrain made a cautious start and traded possession. Bibiano Fernandes’ side looked to break the deadlock through Lalremruatfela and Muhammad Sohil Khan on the left.
In the seventh minute, Sohil attempted an ambitious long-range volley off a loose ball that went off target, while Bahrain’s Ridha Ebrahim tested India’s backline in the 10th minute before skimming a free-kick just over the crossbar in the 12th. Nara Meitei Loushambam came close for India a minute later with a free-kick that drifted wide.
The tempo surged in the 14th minute when Bahrain’s goalkeeper Abdulla Alrowaiei charged off his line to deny Macdonnish Ngairangbam in a crucial one-on-one. Unfazed, India opened the scoring just two minutes later through a brilliant link-up: skipper Birjit Singh Amom teed up Macdonnish, who made no mistake, sweeping a crisp first-time finish past the keeper from the edge of the area.
India custodian Jenit Ningthoujam then maintained the momentum, producing a fine leaping stop to keep out Rashed Abdulrahman’s effort. Two minutes later, Lalremruatfela won possession in the attacking third and drilled a precise left-footed shot into the far corner to make it 2-0 at half-time.
Bahrain returned with urgency before Deepak Singh Arambam tried his luck in the 26th minute, sending a volley over the bar from Birjit’s cross.
A rapid double strike brought Bahrain level. First, Abdulrahman unleashed a long-range bolt into the top corner in the 28th minute. A minute later, Sayed Alalawi floated in a kick-in for Zeyad Aun to head home the equaliser.
But the Blue Colts were not done yet. They too struck twice later. Soumojit Sarkar’s floating diagonal ball found Lalremruatfela in the 38th minute, who controlled it brilliantly before slotting it home for his fifth goal of the tournament. A minute later, Lalremruatfela surged down the left and picked out Nibas Meetei Wahengbam at the far post, who first saw his header blocked but was quick to hammer the rebound into the roof of the net to make it 4-2.
In the last minute, Aun struck a long-range effort for Bahrain to reduce the deficit. India defended its lead and secured all three points in the first match of the final day of the group stage. It confirmed a top-three finish for the Blue Colts in the group.
A win against Senegal will guarantee the top spot and entry into Tier A of the competition stage. A draw will be enough if Cameroon fails to beat Bahrain.
SCORE:
Bahrain 3 (Rashed Abdulrahman 28’, Zeyad Aun 29’, 40’) lost to India 4 (Macdonnish Ngairangbam 16’, R Lalremruatfela 19’, 38’, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam 39’)
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