Mohamed Irshad scored a goal deep into injury time but that didn't matter in the end as Khalid Jamil's side remained on 10 points from 16 games. Kerala now have 23 points from 13 outings.
India now play Bangladesh in the summit clash on Sunday.
The hosts crashed out of the tournament at the group stage, losing all their three matches. They gave a tough fight to Colombia in their 1-2 defeat but suffered drubbings against the USA (0-3) and Ghana (0-4).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the India Under-17 football team in New Delhi on Friday as he encouraged the youngsters to stick together and represent the country at the highest level in the years to come.
'They defended very well and they were very organised'
Playing with ten debutants, India came back strongly in the second half to eke out a draw in their first international game since the COVID-19 lockdown last March.
FC Goa took the lead through Igor Angulo (20th minute) and Redeem Tlang (23rd) before Suresh Wangjam (33rd) reduced Bengaluru's deficit.
Anwar Ali, at the heart of India's defence, will once again play a pivotal role in the match
Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters continued their winless streak as they played out a 1-1 draw in an Indian Super League encounter.
Raphael Messi Bouli struck twice in the last 15 minutes to eke out a 2-2 draw for Kerala Blasters
Adam Le Fondre put Sergio Lobera's men further ahead in the 59th minute as Hyderabad tasted their first defeat of the season.
Carl McHugh scored ATK's 100th goal of the ISL in only the sixth minute of the game but the home side, egged on by a vociferous crowd of more than 35,000, hit back with two goals from their new signing Ogbeche to begin their campaign on a winning note.
India have been drawn in Group A alongside USA, Colombia and Ghana. The hosts face USA on October 6, followed by Colombia and Ghana on October 9 and October 12 respectively at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
'I am very proud of these Indian players. They have shown that India can compete against the best in the world. They have a fantastic future'
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
India qualified automatically for the event as hosts. They have prepared well with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) sending the players for training tours in Europe and a tournament in Mexico but the home side are the clear underdogs.
Pedro scored in the 31st, 49th and 64th minutes while Romario Jesuraj got the other goal for Chennai in the 76th minute.
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore hopes the stupendous success of FIFA Under-17 World Cup would motivate the country's budding footballers to improve their game and eye a World Cup qualification in near future.
Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal need to put their complaints aside and do some 'soul-searching' on why they have failed to attract the kind of investors needed to play in the more glamorous Indian Super League, AIFF General secretary Kushal Das said on Tuesday.
Indian U-17 team's performance was more of hype than actual achievement on the field.
India U-17 football team captain Amarjit Singh's confidence is set to get a boost during the World Cup as his full family will be in New Delhi to cheer him.
Midfield lynchpin Suresh Singh feels India would need to improve their final pass, but an improvement in department would not be enough against Colombia's all-round superiority.
The world's most-talented young players gave India a memorable show of high quality football on the field as the country showcased its organizational skills in a near-flawless and record-breaking FIFA Under-17 World Cup across six cities, which culminated with England clinching the title in Kolkata on Saturday.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances