India Vs Chinese Taipei Highlights, AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: Captain Gangte Hat-Trick Seals Blue Colts' 3-1 Win

Greetings to everyone joining us this Wednesday evening for some Indian football action. The Blue Colts face Chinese Taipei in a bid to earn their first win in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, and we will bring to you the build-up and live updates from the match.

The match kicks off at 7:30pm IST. The India vs Chinese Taipei, AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers clash will be live streamed on plus.fifa.com. It will not be telecast on any TV channel in India.

India are unchanged from their previous game against Palestine. Check out the line-up:

The match gets underway in Ahmedabad. India kicking from right to left and Chinese Taipei the other way in the first half. Bibiano Fernandes said the Blue Colts have worked on their mistakes in the previous match. Let's see if they can execute well, having had a three-day rest.

Well, well, well. That was certainly not the start India wanted. Chinese Taipei are in front as early as the third minute, as midfielder Yang Hao finds the back of the net to rattle the Blue Colts early.

India have tried to rebound, creating a few chances, but have been unable to find the clinical finish in the final third as yet. If they lose this match, the Blue Colts would virtually go out of contention, since only the group toppers advance to next year's AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Chinese Taipei arrive into this fixture after a heavy defeat to IR Iran on Monday, and appear ready to respond, given their early opener. Wang Po-min’s side had earlier earned a point in their opening 0-0 draw with Lebanon and have shown defensive discipline in phases of the tournament, as they did not concede a goal in their first 135 minutes of the Qualifiers.

The equaliser arrives, and it’s the captain Dallalmuon Gangte who drags his side level with a cool, composed finish. The move was crafted brilliantly down the left, where the winger found just a yard of space to float in a teasing cross, and Gangte met it perfectly to guide the ball home. A true captain’s moment to bring the game back to parity.

The referee brings an entertaining first half to a close with the teams locked at 1-1. The opener sparked the game into life, and the equaliser from captain Dallalmuon Gangte restored balance with a composed finish after that clever build-up on the left. Both sides pushed hard in the final minutes, trading half-chances and testing each other’s backlines, but neither could find the breakthrough before the whistle.

Second half kicks off, and both teams waste no time trying to seize control. The tempo is up, the passes are sharper, and there’s a clear sense that the next goal could define the contest.

A sharp overlapping run opens everything up, and it’s a gorgeous ball played through the lines. He slices right through the defence, takes it in stride, and squares it across. Gangte brings it under control with a neat touch, cuts inside with a diamond-sharp move, and lets fly, forcing a solid, timely save from the goalkeeper.

India keep pushing with real intensity now, clearly growing into the half. Rehan drives it forward from the right, working the ball patiently before lifting a teasing cross toward the back post. An acrobatic attempt follows right in front of goal, but the angle is too tight and he can’t quite pull it off.

India work it neatly down the right as Paymon is found in space, and he sends it back to the No. 6, who floats a clever ball forward. The header drops into a dangerous pocket, just enough room, but not quite the clean connection. Still, the loose ball skips off the surface, sneaks through the scramble, and wriggles past the goalkeeper to find the net. India take the lead, and it’s Gangte again, his brace putting them 2-1 up.

Gangte completes a brilliant hat-trick, striking twice in the space of just a couple of minutes to blow the game wide open for the Blue Colts. India finally flip the switch, and this one from outside the box is pure conviction, he takes a quick step back, creates the angle he wants, and decides to let it fly. The hit is clean, powerful, and unstoppable, sealing an emphatic moment in the match.

Diamond Singh steps up with a sharp effort, forcing a strong save from the keeper, but India stay on the front foot. The loose ball is recycled quickly and floated back in by Gunleihboi, dropping right into a dangerous area. Lalbempuia stretches and almost turns it in at the near post, but the final touch just evades him. India piling on the pressure.

Another push forward from the boys as they invite L. V. Cheng into the move, working it back before Bossing floats a teasing cross into the box. Raj Group Sarkar is alert and called into action, dealing with it confidently. The referee signals business as usual, and that just about sums it up, what a contest this has been.

India were made to fight from the very first whistle. China Taipei came out firing, grabbing the opener in just the third minute. But India clawed their way back, levelling through a wonderfully crafted move from Leba, finished sharply by captain Gangte.

The second half belonged to India’s skipper, two quick goals to complete a brilliant hat-trick and seal the result in front of a buzzing, capacity crowd at the Eka Arena in Ahmedabad.