A day after their World Cup campaign ended, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) chalked out the roadmap for the U-17 India team's future. The parent body offered three-year contracts to all the 21 players in a bid to form the team which will play in the I-League from the forthcoming season. While 10-12 players have already signed on the dotted line, AIFF is waiting for the nod from the rest.
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"At least 10-12 players have signed the deal. If the rest don't want to join the side, they are free to join any club. We have offered them three-year contracts keeping in mind the U-19 AFC Championships in 2018 and U-20 World Cup in 2019," AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told TOI on Friday.
The U-17 team's next assignment will be the U-19 AFC Championship qualifiers, which will start in Saudi Arabia on November 4. India are placed in Group D along with Yemen, Turkmenistan and hosts Saudi Arabia. If India can make the AFC Championships, which will be held in Indonesia next year, they will get a shot at a 2019 U-20 World Cup berth as top four teams will qualify directly.
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Das said India will hold a week-long camp prior to the tournament from October 17 under coach Luis Norton de Matos. The U17 boys will join the U19 Indian team players at the camp. "Most of the players left today. They are expected to join the camp likely to be held in either Goa, Mumbai or Delhi from Tuesday," Das said.
The team will also play a friendly against Qatar in Doha as part of its preparations for the AFC qualifiers. "The team will leave on October 25 and play a friendly against Qatar on October 28. We will then travel to Saudi for the qualifiers," said Das.