Baku, Oct 24: India began their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 on a high note, registering a dominant 4-2 victory over Laos in their Group K opener at the Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 1B in Baku on Saturday.
India's Captain Macdonnish Ngairangbam (7') and R Lalremruatfela (11') handed the team an early two-goal advantage before Anavin Xayyasone (12') halved the deficit for Laos.
Souksavanh Siliseng (24') equalised for the Southeast Asians soon after half-time, but India finished strong, with Lalremruatfela (31') and Soumojit Sarkar (33') firing from long range to restore the lead and secure the nation's first three points at a FIFA tournament.
The tournament features 189 national teams divided into 32 groups, with matches played in an eight-a-side format. Each match consists of two 20-minute halves, with rolling substitutions permitted.
Bibiano Fernandes' team made a bright start and created two chances in the opening four minutes. A powerful left-footed effort from inside the box by Deepak Singh Arambam was pushed away by the Laos goalkeeper Anousith Souksavanh in the third minute, before Macdonnish was denied by the advancing custodian a minute later.
India took the lead in the seventh minute after brilliant footwork from Deepak, who worked his way into the small box before cutting the ball back for Macdonnish to tap home.
The pressure continued to pay off, with India doubling their advantage in the 11th minute. A Laos clearance was blocked by Deepak, and the ball fell to R Lalremruatfela, who took a touch before slamming home with his left boot.
Laos responded almost immediately, pulling a goal back in the 12th minute through Anavin Xayyasone, whose long-range effort left India goalkeeper Jenit Ningthoujam rooted to the spot.
The tempo dropped following the early flurry of goals, with neither side creating a clear-cut opportunity before the five-minute half-time break.
India threatened again after the restart, with a header from Macdonnish drifting inches wide following a corner in the 21st minute. Laos, however, drew level three minutes later when Souksavanh Siliseng struck the first time from outside the box, finding the bottom corner.
The equaliser prompted India to raise their intensity, with much of the play taking place in the Laos half.
India regained the lead in the 31st minute, with R Lalremruatfela collecting a pass from Soumojit Sarkar before firing left-footed into the far corner from outside the box to make it 3-2.
India extended their advantage in the 33rd minute when Sarkar struck from just inside the halfway line, sending the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.
The young Indian side managed the remainder of the match well to preserve their two-goal advantage and secure all three points.
India will next face Cameroon on Sunday before taking on Grenada later the same day. They will conclude the qualification stage against Bahrain and Senegal on October 26. Their results across the five matches will determine which performance tier they enter for the second phase.
--IANS