India to compete in Tier C after 1-6 defeat to Senegal in FIFA U15 World Cup

India suffered a 1-6 defeat against Senegal in their fifth and final Group K match at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 at the Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 8A in Baku on Monday, October 26, 2026. Abdoulaye Diallo scored four goals for Senegal, including a first-half hat-trick, while Georges Kanfom and Pierre Mbengue added one each. Ronandev Aheibam pulled a goal back for India in the 33rd minute. The result, coupled with Cameroon’s 2-0 win over Bahrain, meant India finished third in Group K with 10 points from five matches. India will now compete in Tier C of the tournament stage, which covers positions 65th to 96th.

Match details

The opening five minutes were evenly contested before Senegal gradually increased the pressure and took greater control of the match. Senegal broke the deadlock in the ninth minute when Diallo received a pass from the right, advanced into the box and finished past India goalkeeper Jenit Ningthoujam from a narrow angle. It was the first time India had trailed in their five matches at the tournament, and they could never recover. Diallo doubled Senegal’s lead two minutes later, dribbling into the box from the left before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike into the far top corner. Senegal extended their advantage in the 14th minute through Kanfom. Pierre Mbengue played a defence-splitting through ball, allowing Kanfom to take a touch, round the advancing Jenit and finish into an empty net. Diallo completed his hat-trick in the 18th minute, sweeping home a cutback from Kanfom, who had reached the left by-line. Mbengue added Senegal’s fifth goal in the 23rd minute. Jenit initially saved his effort in a one-on-one situation, but the rebound fell back to the Senegal midfielder, who converted on the second attempt. Diallo scored his fourth of the evening in the 31st minute, receiving a pass from Kanfom inside the box before using a feint to create space and finish. India pulled a goal back two minutes later on the counter-attack. Deepak Singh Arambam drove a low cross into the box, where Ronandev slid in to meet it with a first-time finish in the 33rd minute.

Group standings and context

Group winners Cameroon and runners-up Senegal both finished on 12 points and will feature in Tiers A and B respectively in the tournament stage. Bahrain and Laos, with four points each, ended up in Tiers D and E respectively, while Grenada finished last with one point and will be in Tier F. India recorded three wins from five matches in the group stage. The 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is the inaugural edition of the competition, organised by FIFA for players born in 2011 or 2012, and is being held in Baku from October 24 to 30, 2026.

What happens next

Matches in the tournament stage will be played in a knockout format, with all 189 teams competing for position until the final day on October 30. Tier C of the tournament stage starts on Wednesday. The sources do not specify India’s next opponent or venue.

Group K final standings

Related on Apex Sports News

• FIFA U-15 World Cup: India beat Laos 4-2 in Baku

• FIFA U-15 World Cup: India beat Bahrain 4-3 to stay top of Group K

• PCB denies over-50s team permission to play Masters World Cup in India

Sources

• NDTV Sports

• RevSportz

• Photo: jarmoluk, Pixabay Content License (Pixabay)