U15 World Cup: Coach Bibiano wants his boys to improve in next round

India U15 men’s team, having started their campaign in the opening round of the FIFA U15 World Cup in Baku on a promising note, want to learn from their mistakes and perform even better in the second phase which gets underway on Wednesday. Bibiano Fernandes’s boys will take on Honduras in the Round of 32 of Tier C tomorrow (1 pm IST).

They finished third in Group K with 10 points from five matches, recording three wins, one draw and one defeat. The Blue Colts will now compete in Tier C, which determines positions 65 to 96 as the tournament continues with all participating teams playing through to the final matchday.

The winner of India vs Honduras clash will progress to face the winner of the match-up between France and Trinidad and Tobago later in the evening (7:45 p.m.). Meanwhile, the respective losing sides will drop to the 81st-96th place bracket and play each other at the same time.

“It’s been a great learning experience for all of us,’’ head coach Fernandes told AIFF media. ‘’This U15 World Cup is about understanding whether we can compete at this level and I'm proud of the way the boys have competed in the first round, showing great character and belief,” he said.

“Our priority is to learn from the first round, adapt and continue improving. We want to perform even better in the next stage, achieve the best possible standing and use every match as an opportunity to develop as a team,” Fernandes said.

India began with a 4-2 victory over Laos before edging out Cameroon 2-1. They then drew 3-3 with Grenada after taking a three-goal lead, beat Bahrain 4-3 with two late goals and concluded the group stage with a 1-6 defeat to Senegal. Cameroon's 2-0 win over Bahrain in the final round of fixtures meant India finished third behind Senegal and Cameroon.

The 2-1 win over Cameroon was a notable defensive performance from the Blue Colts. Goalkeeper Jenit Ningthoujam made several important saves, including stopping a penalty, while India's defenders showed good communication, made timely tackles and worked together to contain Cameroon's attacks.

However, the draw against Grenada highlighted the need to maintain concentration throughout a match. Having led 3-0, India conceded three times in six minutes to share the points. The subsequent 4-3 win over Bahrain demonstrated the team's ability to respond under pressure, with R Lalremruatfela and Nibas Meetei Wahengbam scoring in the 38th and 39th minutes, respectively, after Bahrain had drawn level.

Fernandes acknowledged that the team still had areas to improve, despite remaining unbeaten across their first four matches. “Hard work and belief were key to our unbeaten run. However, we know there is still a lot of room for improvement and we must continue working hard, learning, and developing as a team,” he added.