India U-20 to play Argentina counterparts in COTIF Cup

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) The India U-20 national team will be crossing swords with U-20 teams of Argentina, Venezuela and Mauritania when the boys travel to Spain to participate in the COTIF Cup -- the Mini Mundial Sub U-20 mens football tournament.

The tournament is slated to kick-off on July 29.

Besides, the U-20 boys will also play Murcia U-20, a local side in the tournament.

Abhishek Yadav, director, national teams said the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has drawn up a template where all national teams will play international competitions in addition to their domestic schedule.

"The COTIF tournament in Spain falls well into our plans and we are excitedly looking forward to it. In the Sub20 category, India will be up against teams from renowned football powerhouses that will be preparing for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2019 qualifiers," he said.

"For the development of all national teams across age-groups, we have drawn up a template in which playing matches on a regular basis has been given high weight," Yadav, also an AIFF Executive Committee member, said.

"In an ideal mix, in addition to domestic matches, we will participate in competitions involving AFC opposition, non-AFC opposition, matches against higher-age teams, in different playing conditions, etc."

"We are pushing the envelope. We have done this with the U-17 World Cup team and are doing it with the U-16 boys' national team as well. We will soon extend it to the female national teams and a fresh U-15 boys' national team," he stated.

The U-20 national team will comprise boys who represented India in the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 and boys who represented India in the AFC U-19 Qualifiers in 2017.

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