Laos vs India: Blue Colts Open FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Campaign With 4-2 Win
Image: AIFF
India made a winning start to their FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 campaign with a 4-2 victory over Laos in their Group K opener at the Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 1B on Saturday.
Captain Macdonnish Ngairangbam opened the scoring in the seventh minute before R Lalremruatfela doubled India’s lead four minutes later. Laos responded through Anavin Xayyasone in the 12th minute and Souksavanh Siliseng in the 24th, but the Blue Colts finished strongly as Lalremruatfela scored his second in the 31st minute and Soumojit Sarkar added another two minutes later to secure all three points.
India started brightly and created two good chances inside the opening four minutes. Deepak Singh Arambam tested Laos goalkeeper Anousith Souksavanh with a powerful left-footed effort in the third minute, before Macdonnish was denied by the advancing goalkeeper soon afterwards.
The pressure paid off in the seventh minute when Deepak showed good footwork inside the box and cut the ball back for Macdonnish, who finished from close range to put India ahead. The Blue Colts continued to press and doubled their advantage in the 11th minute after Deepak blocked a Laos clearance. The loose ball fell to Lalremruatfela, who took a touch before finishing with his left foot.
Laos responded almost immediately. Xayyasone found space outside the box in the 12th minute and struck from distance, leaving India goalkeeper Jenit Ningthoujam with little chance and reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The early rush of goals was followed by a more controlled spell, with neither side creating another clear opening before the half-time break. India threatened again shortly after the restart when Macdonnish headed narrowly wide from a corner in the 21st minute, but Laos drew level three minutes later through Siliseng, who struck first time from outside the area and found the bottom corner.
India reacted well after conceding the equaliser and began to control more of the game in the Laos half. The Blue Colts regained the lead in the 31st minute when Soumojit found Lalremruatfela, who fired a left-footed effort from outside the box into the far corner to make it 3-2.
Two minutes later, Soumojit added the fourth with one of the goals of the match. Collecting the ball close to the halfway line, he struck from distance and sent his effort over the goalkeeper and into the net, restoring India’s two-goal cushion.
Bibiano Fernandes’ side managed the closing minutes with composure and did not allow Laos another way back into the contest. The 4-2 victory gave India their first three points of the qualification stage and a positive start to their campaign in Baku.
The inaugural tournament features 189 national teams divided into 32 groups and is being played in an eight-a-side format, with each match consisting of two 20-minute halves and rolling substitutions permitted.
India will next face Cameroon on October 25 at 10:30 IST before returning later the same day to play Grenada at 17:15 IST. The Blue Colts will complete the qualification stage against Bahrain and Senegal on October 26, with the results from all five matches determining their performance tier for the second phase.
India U15 Starting 8: Jenit Ningthoujam (GK), Pratham Kumar, Nara Meitei Loushambam, Soumojit Sarkar, R Lalremruatfela, Macdonnish Ngairangbam (C), C Lalhmingropuia, Deepak Singh Arambam.
Substitutes: Dhannya Desai (GK), Muhammad Sohil Khan, Birjit Singh Amom, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam, Victor Lalawmpuia, Ronandev Aheibam.
