After being the only team from the entire country to have been invited to play India U-17 World Cup team in Goa few months ago, Northern powerhouse and India’s largest football Academy Minerva Punjab FC add another feather to their cap as they are invited to play Columbian U-17 World Cup team in a friendly match in Gurgaon on 27th September.
Colombia sealed their entry into the U-17 World Cup in dramatic style with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Paraguay in the last group match of the South American U-17 Championship (Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-17) could be tournament’s dark horses and are no stranger to the FIFA U-17 as they previously made it to the FIFA U-17 World Cup on five occasions, their best finish came in Finland 2003 and Nigeria 2009, when they finished third.
The Los Cafeteros U-17 team have already undergone three training camps ever since sealing qualification, with one of them happening in the seaside city of Barranquilla, where temperatures are closest to what the team will experience in India.
Meanwhile Minerva Punjab FC Owner & CEO Ranjit Bajaj fell short of words to express how fortunate he was to have been getting a chance to test his Academy products against the finest talents of International Football.
Ironically, Columbia are placed in Group A with the likes of United States of America (USA), Two-time champions at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Ghana and Host country India which comprises of 5 Minervan players namely defending strong holds Anwar Ali and Narender Gahlot, Midfield general Jackson Singh and strikers Nongdamba Naorem and Shubhan Sarangi.
Match Details :
Minerva U-17 vs Columbia U-17
Venue : Heritage College Academy Grounds.
Date : 27th September
Time : 6.00pm