India’s junior football team will take on Italy at home on Friday, as a part of its preparation for the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup, reported PTI.
The match, which will be played in the Italian city of Arezzo, will be another tough test for the juniors ahead of the big event to be be held in India in October. The Under-17 World Cup will be the country’s first ever FIFA event.
The Indian team is in Europe for an exposure trip, in order to better prepare for the World Cup. However, Luis Norton de Matos’ side has not had a good run recently.
They lost 1-2 to Sporting Lisbon in the last match they played on May 10. Sporting Lisbon created a few chances towards the end of the game but the Indian defenders saw off the danger to keep the scoreline unchanged.
Before that, the India team went down 0-3 to Portuguese club SL Benfica in a friendly match in Lisbon. The Indians had claimed a 2-2 draw against the same club on April 27.
The FIFA Under-17 World Cup will be held across six venues from October 6-28 with Kolkata hosting the final.