Baku, Azerbaijan: India's FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival campaign took a challenging turn as the young 'Blue Colts' suffered a significant 1-6 defeat against Senegal in their final Group K match. The match, held at Pitch 8A of the Hovsan Competition Complex, saw Ronandev Aheibam score India's lone goal.

Senegal's Abdoulaye Diallo was the star of the show, netting four goals, including a first-half hat-trick. Georges Kanfom and Pierre Mbengue also contributed with a goal each, cementing Senegal's dominance. Despite Ronandev Aheibam's effort in the 33rd minute, India couldn't recover from the early onslaught.

This result, combined with Cameroon's 2-0 victory over Bahrain, meant India finished third in Group K with 10 points from five matches. Consequently, India will now compete in Tier C for positions 65th to 96th in the tournament stage. Group winners Cameroon and runners-up Senegal will advance to Tiers A and B, respectively, vying for higher ranks.

The match saw an evenly contested opening five minutes before Senegal swiftly took control, with Diallo opening the scoring in the ninth minute. India found themselves trailing for the first time in the tournament and struggled to regain momentum against a powerful Senegalese side. The young Indian team, while showing glimpses of potential, now faces a different challenge in the lower tiers of the competition.

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