Football
AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: India U17 12-0 Guam, two hat-tricks in Kuala Lumpur
Football · India U17 men · AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers
AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: India U17 12-0 Guam, two hat-tricks in Kuala Lumpur
1.4 billion v 1.7 lakh: India’s U17s play like Spain and score 12.
Kuala Lumpur, 14 November.
India’s under-17 men beat Guam 12-0 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Saturday, 14 November 2026, with hat-tricks from captain Dallalmuon Gangte and Raj Wahengbam. Seven different players scored as India made it two wins from two in Group E of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
Watch the match
A fast start, then a flood
Leo Thongbam headed India ahead in the 4th minute from a David Mangang Irom cross. Dallalmuon Gangte made it 2-0 in the 12th, finishing with a powerful right-footed strike after the Guam keeper blocked a shot from the right. Hrishikesh Charan Manavathi ran in behind a Guam defence that had been caught out for the third in the 19th.
Gangte scored again in the 26th, after a cut-back from No. 4, and completed his hat-trick in the 31st with a curler, after pressing high and winning the ball on the left. India led 5-0 at half-time.
Second half: Irom, Raj and the bench
Irom scored the sixth in the 52nd. Raj Wahengbam made it seven in the 54th, and Felix Meitei Saikhom added the eighth a minute later. Raj struck again in the 72nd, with his left foot, and completed his own hat-trick in the 82nd as heavy rain swept the stadium.
Irom got his second in the 84th, and substitute Ristik Maity scored the twelfth in the 86th. Seven different players scored, two of them hat-tricks.
Playing like Spain
The preview here asked who would step up if Guam managed to contain captain Gangte. The answer was almost everyone.
The scoreline only tells part of it. India controlled the midfield, kept the ball, and when the final third was congested they recycled it instead of forcing the pass. They broke lines with simple, quick passing and made few mistakes. Guam, who defended deep in a low block, were pulled around the pitch for most of the game. By the second half they looked tired and had stopped chasing the ball.
Manipur’s moment
According to a squad-by-birthplace graphic shared by Manipur Football Times, 15 of India’s 23 players are from Manipur, with four from Mizoram. Another proud day for Indian football, and for a state that continues to be a powerhouse of Indian sports.
Scorers
| Player | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Leo Thongbam | 4′ |
| Dallalmuon Gangte (C) | 12′, 26′, 31′ |
| Hrishikesh Charan Manavathi | 19′ |
| David Mangang Irom | 52′, 84′ |
| Raj Wahengbam | 54′, 72′, 82′ |
| Felix Meitei Saikhom | 55′ |
| Ristik Maity | 86′ |
What comes next
India have won both opening games in Group E, beating Singapore 4-2 and Guam 12-0, for six points and 16 goals scored with two conceded. They face Palestine on Tuesday 17 November and Malaysia on Friday 20 November. Only the group winners are guaranteed a place in the finals in Uzbekistan, so the group is not settled yet.
