Maldives U20 Depart for Myanmar Ahead of AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

The Maldives U20 National Football Team will depart for Myanmar today as the young national side begins its campaign in the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, with the team set to play three crucial matches in Yangon.

The Maldives have been drawn in Group K of the Development Phase, alongside hosts Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam and Sri Lanka. The Group K matches will be played at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, with all four teams meeting once in a single-round format.

The qualification campaign begins on Monday, August 31, and runs until September 6. The tournament is being played under a new AFC qualification structure that introduces separate Qualification and Development Phases, providing teams with more meaningful competitive matches and a promotion-and-relegation pathway between the two levels.

The Maldives will begin their Group K campaign on Monday, August 31, against Brunei Darussalam.

The match will be played at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon. The scheduled kick-off is 7:00 PM Myanmar time, which is 5:00 PM Maldives time.

The opening match will provide the Maldives with an important opportunity to start the campaign with three points and immediately put themselves in a strong position in the group.

On the same day, hosts Myanmar will face Sri Lanka in the other Group K fixture.

The Maldives will play their second match on Thursday, September 3, against Sri Lanka.

The match is scheduled for 7:00 PM Myanmar time, or 5:00 PM Maldives time, at Thuwunna Stadium.

The encounter could prove particularly important in the race for the top positions, with the Maldives and Sri Lanka both looking to collect maximum points before the final round of matches.

The Maldives will complete their three-match group campaign on Sunday, September 6, when they take on hosts Myanmar.

Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM Myanmar time, which is 2:00 PM Maldives time.

Facing the hosts in the final match could provide a major test for the young Maldivian side, particularly if qualification or promotion remains undecided heading into the final day.