India U15 camp begins in Bengaluru under Bibiano Fernandes for FIFA U15 World Cup

Extensive nationwide scouting sets stage for Bibiano Fernandes-led U15 men's camp

New Delhi, August 17

According to a release from AIFF Media, Fernandes has taken charge of the age-group side after signing his contract, following the approval of his appointment by the AIFF Executive Committee on August 6. Surinder Singh has been appointed as the team's assistant coach.

Fernandes brings extensive experience of working with India's national youth teams. Having first led the U15 team in 2017, he has established himself as one of the country's most successful youth coaches.

During his tenure across the age groups, India have qualified for the AFC U17 Asian Cup on four occasions -- 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2026. One of his most notable achievements came during the AFC U16 Championship 2018, when India reached the quarter-finals. Fernandes has also guided India to five SAFF age-group titles -- the SAFF U15 Championship in 2017 and 2019, the SAFF U17 Championship in 2022 and 2025, and the SAFF U19 Championship in 2025.

His appointment gives the youngest national-team age group a coach with extensive experience in developing players through the youth international pathway.

Assisting Fernandes will be Surinder Singh, whose coaching experience spans both domestic club football and international youth football. The AFC Pro Licence holder has previously served as head coach of Delhi FC and Minerva Punjab FC and was part of the Philippines U17 women's coaching staff that helped the team qualify for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2026.

The formation of the U15 men's national team squad is the result of an extensive nationwide talent identification process undertaken by the All India Football Federation to ensure that promising young players from across the country have an opportunity to be identified and assessed.

AIFF Deputy Secretary General Mr M Satyanarayan said, "The scouting process for this age group has been underway for nearly two years, well before FIFA announced the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival. Our original objective was to identify and develop promising players for our AIFF-FIFA Talent Academies, with a focus on 2011 and 2012-born players. The timing has worked very well for us, as the players identified through that process can now form the core of our preparations for the U15 World Cup."

"More than 12,000 players were assessed across the last two seasons, with scouts working across competitions and different parts of the country to identify talent. This gives us a strong pool from which to select and further develop the players for this opportunity. The inaugural U15 World Cup and Festival is an exciting new platform for these young players, and we want to give them the right exposure and preparation to make the most of it."

As part of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, AIFF has significantly expanded its scouting network under the guiding principle of 'Giving Every Talent A Chance'.

For the 2011-2012 age group, more than 12,000 boys were evaluated nationwide during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, with assessments carried out by a dedicated network of 60 scouts comprising former international players, former national-level players and AIFF-licensed coaches.

The scouting network closely monitored players across more than 20 competitions and football platforms, including the AIFF Elite, Junior and Sub-Junior Youth Leagues, Junior and Sub-Junior Boys' National Football Championships (Tier 1 and Tier 2), School Games Federation of India competitions, Reliance Foundation youth leagues, Subroto Cup, state leagues, district leagues, private tournaments and SAI assessment camps.

The expanded scouting programme has seen the AIFF move towards a more district-centric scouting model. Through professional development workshops and continued engagement with local scouts, including former international players, national-level players and licensed coaches, AIFF has sought to strengthen its ability to identify talent at source.

The most promising players identified through competitions and open trials were invited to central trials at the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy in Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad. A total of 160 players were invited to the central trials in Bhubaneswar, while another 205 players were assessed in Hyderabad.

These central trials allowed players identified from different parts of the country to be assessed against one another and benchmarked against a broader national talent pool.

The process was not limited to players already competing in AIFF competitions. To further widen the reach of the programme, AIFF invited state associations to organise trials in their regions. The strongest performers from these trials were subsequently recommended for the central assessments.

The approach provided players an opportunity to enter the national talent identification pathway, irrespective of whether they had already been identified through AIFF's national competitions.

AIFF's talent identification efforts have also extended beyond the country. The Federation is actively tracking Indian citizen players developing in academies and clubs overseas, with their performances and progress monitored as part of the wider national talent pool.

The combination of domestic scouting, states' open trials, central assessments and overseas monitoring has allowed AIFF to create a more structured pool of players from which the national-team camp could be selected.

The inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 is scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, with participation open to all FIFA Member Associations.

The ongoing camp in Bengaluru is currently in a trial phase, with the coaching staff continuing to evaluate players before the final 14-member squad for the tournament is selected. Ahead of the start of the national camp, head coach Bibiano Fernandes visited the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy in Odisha from August 12 to 15.

Players are being invited in different batches for trials, with new players continuing to join the assessment process, while those who are not retained are released back to their respective clubs and academies. As part of the camp, the players will also get match exposure through friendly matches against higher age-group teams of clubs and academies. Closer to the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival, the AIFF will also look to organise international friendlies against other U15 national teams as part of the Blue Colts' final preparations.

— ANI