Amirreza Valipoor put Iran ahead in the 19th minute
India captain Dallalmuon Gangte's first-half penalty levelled score
Gunleiba Wangheirakpam netted winner for hosts in the 52nd minute
The India U17 men's football team sealed its AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2026 berth on Sunday (November 30, 2025), beating Iran 2-1 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad in their final qualifying match.
Amirreza Valipoor put the visitors ahead in the 19th minute, but India bounced back via captain Dallalmuon Gangte's first-half penalty and a subsequent winner by Gunleiba Wangheirakpam in the 52nd minute.
The Blue Colts will thus be headed to the continental showpiece for the 10th time. They also become the fourth Indian football team to make the Asia Cup cut this year after the senior women’s side, the U20 women’s outfit and the U17 women’s team.
The result also stands in sharp contrast to the senior men's team's abject failure earlier in November, as they finished last in a Asian Cup qualifying group with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Singapore, nations with more modest resources and far smaller pools of players.
Iran, with seven points, entered the match as favourites, unbeaten and needing only a draw to progress. India, on four points, needed nothing less than a win. And when Valipoor struck first, calmly finishing after a defensive misjudgement, the task appeared to loom even larger. But this young Indian side refused to accept their fate.
The victory meant that India climbed to seven points, level with Iran but ahead on head-to-head and enough to secure qualification for the Saudi Arabia showpiece against a powerhouse of Asian youth football.
The early narrative belonged to Iran. They pressed sharply, moved the ball fluidly, and forced India goalkeeper Rajrup Sarkar into two crucial saves, first tipping away a long-range effort from captain Mahan Beheshti in the 10th minute, then punching out a fierce volley from the same player moments later after Jafar Asadi carved through on the left.
Iran looked ruthless, composed, and in command. Yet India hung in, never allowing panic to creep in despite Iran's territorial superiority. They tested the waters with speculative shots from distance and tried to break Iran's structure by shifting the ball quickly into the wide channels. Nothing seemed to pierce Iran's disciplined defensive line.
Then came the moment that changed everything. At the stroke of half-time, a corner from the left caused chaos inside the Iranian box. As bodies collided and the ball pinged around dangerously, Heeranganba Seram was brought down. The referee pointed straight to the spot.
Up stepped Gangte, ice-cold in pressure, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way in the 46th minute. India had their lifeline, and with it, belief. Revitalised, India began the second half with renewed purpose, and the winner came in the 52nd minute, born of an Iranian mistake.
Defender Amirmahan Afrooziani failed to clear a looping ball, and Wangkheirakpam, unmarked and unhurried, capitalised with a strong finish past goalkeeper Bardiya Dorri. India, against the odds, led 2-1.
As the minutes drained away, Iran grew increasingly frantic while India managed the tempo with remarkable maturity for their age and delivered a performance of immense character.
