FIFA U-17 World Cup: India’s group games moved from Mumbai to Delhi

India’s group games in the FIFA U-17 World Cup have been shifted from Navi Mumbai to New Delhi following a request made by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), reportedly at the behest of the Indian government

India will play their group games at the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year, which will be held from October 6-28, in New Delhi, after the Group A games were moved from Navi Mumbai to the national capital.

India were initially scheduled to play their group games at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Navi Mumbai. (AIFF)

The Group B games, which were initially scheduled to be held in New Delhi, have been shifted to Navi Mumbai, while there are no changes in the schedule of the knockout rounds.

The decision was taken by FIFA following a request by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was reportedly made at the behest of the Indian government.

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“Attendance, especially in the venue where the home team plays its matches, is one of the priorities of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, crucial to achieving the purpose of better positioning football in the country, so the government’s commitment in this regard is highly appreciated,” FIFA’s Head of Tournaments Jaime Yarza said in a press release.

Yarza also called on Indian authorities to take action against high pollution levels in some of the host cities.

“We are now expecting an action response plan to prevent pollution levels from affecting the tournament, which ideally should continue beyond the tournament,” he said.