The matches will be played in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on October 25 and 28, and will form part of India’s preparations for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup, which will be held in April 2026.

After a brief camp at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, the Young Tigresses departed for Kazakhstan on the morning of October 23 and will arrive in Shymkent in the evening.

India U20 women’s 23-member squad for Kazakhstan friendlies:

Goalkeepers: Melody Chanu Keisham, Monalisha Devi Moirangthem, Ribansi Jamu.

Defenders: Alina Chingakham, Cindy Remruatpuii Colney, Juhi Singh, Nishima Kumari, Remi Thokchom, Shubhangi Singh, Thoibisana Chanu Toijam, Viksit Bara.

Midfielders: Anju Chanu Kayenpaibam, Arina Devi Nameirakpam, Bhumika Devi Khumukcham, Khushbu Saroj, Neha, Pooja.

Forwards: Babita Kumari, Deepika Pal, Kajol Dsouza, Lhingdeikim, Shilji Shaji, Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam.

Head coach: Joakim Alexandersson
Assistant coach: Rutuja Shinde
Goalkeeping coach: Hameed KK

Fixtures:
11:30 IST, October 25: Kazakhstan U19 Women vs India U20 Women
11:30 IST, October 28: Kazakhstan U19 Women vs India U20 Women
Venue: Shymkent, Kazakhstan

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Placed in a three-team Group G, India will face hosts Kyrgyz Republic on October 13 and Uzbekistan on October 17. Both games will be played at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium and will kick off at 18:30 IST. The group winners will qualify for the 12-team final tournament in China next year.

After winning the SAFF U17 Women’s Championship in Bhutan in August, the Young Tigresses continued their training camp in Bengaluru before shifting base to Goa. They will arrive in Bishkek on Tuesday, October 7, six days before the first match, to help acclimatise to the relatively cooler weather in the Kyrgyz capital.

India’s 23-member squad for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 Qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Munni, Surajmuni Kumari, Thameena Fathima.

Defenders: Alena Devi Sarangthem, Alisha Lyngdoh, Binita Horo, Divyani Linda, Elizabed Lakra, Joyshini Chanu Huidrom, Ritu Badaik, Taniya Devi Tonambam.

Midfielders: Abhista Basnett, Anita Dungdung, Bonifilia Shullai, Julan Nongmaithem, Pritika Barman, Shveta Rani, Thandamoni Baskey.

Forwards: Anushka Kumari, Anwita Raghuraman, Nira Chanu Longjam, Pearl Fernandes, Valaina Fernandes.

Head coach: Joakim Alexandersson
Assistant coach: Nivetha Ramadoss
Goalkeeping coach: Dipankar Choudhury
Strength and conditioning coach: Anugrah Suresh

India’s schedule:

18:30 IST, October 13: Kyrgyz Republic vs India
18:30 IST, October 17: India vs Uzbekistan

Venue: Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Credits: AIFF Media

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Attacker Sanju was the highest scorer of the match, netting a hat trick as Maymol Rocky’s team bounced back from the 0-1 defeat against Uzbekistan on Wednesday. Anju Tamang and Ranjana got a brace each to their name, while Dangmei Grace, Sumithra and Indumathi Kathiresan got a goal each to their name.

India started off with a bang, as Dangmei Grace put the eves in front on the 7th minute itself. Around 10 minutes later, Sanju added yet another one, before making it 3-0 for India minutes before the half-time break.

The team, led by Indumathi Kathiresan in this match, increased the tempo in the second half, as Grace and Ranjana combined again to add two more. Notably, the 71st-minute goal marked the hat-trick for Sanju, and also the third assist of the match for right-back Dalima Chhibber.

Sumithra, Anju and captain Indumathi added three more goals to take India to double figures in the game. India are next set to face Romania on Sunday (March 3).

India Starting XI: Linthoingambi Devi; Jabamani Tudu, Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Dalima Chhibber; Sangita Basfore, Indumathi Kathiresan (C), Anju Tamang; Sanju, Manisha, Dangmei Grace

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The Indian Women are preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 in April wherein they are drawn in Group A, pitted against hosts Myanmar, Indonesia and Nepal – who will host the SAFF Women’s Championship in March.

Dubbing the clash as a litmus test, head coach Maymol Rocky said, “Uzbekistan are one of the top teams of Asia and it will be a challenge to face them. They are strong on the counter and we will have to be at our 100 per cent to beat them”

“The Hero Gold Cup was a good opportunity for us to test our permutations and combinations strategically against quality opponents and we will look to do the same in the Turkish Cup with an aim of creating a final iteration as we proceed to the Olympic Qualifiers”

The Indian women had gone on an unbeaten run of five matches including wins over Hong Kong, Indonesia and Iran (in the Hero Gold Cup), but losses against Nepal and Myanmar – both coming in the Hero Gold Cup, have given room for improvement.

“We have worked on our finishing ever since the Hero Gold Cup where we faltered in front of goal. The bright spot in the Gold Cup was that we were creating chances at will and we look to continue that in the Turkish Cup.”

“We are focusing on finishing the chances we create while implementing the game plan,” Maymol added.

The Indian Women had lost 7-1 to Uzbekistan in 2017 in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. Two years down the road, Ashalata Devi, who played in 2017, believes that the result will be different altogether this time.

“We have developed and evolved into better players by leaps and bounds. We also have tested ourselves against tough opponents and there is no doubt that if we play to the best of our abilities, we can beat Uzbekistan,” said Ashalata.

“It will be a tough match for us but we are prepared for them. We stunned Iran as well (in the Hero Gold Cup) and we have the capacity to defeat some of the best teams if we play to our strengths,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Indian Women will also be facing Turkmenistan and Romania in the Turkish Women’s Cup 2019.

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Despite the early exit, India coach Maymol Rocky was positive while assessing the team’s performance, stating that the competition was an important experience. “The team played well, I believe,” she said.

“We are still in a developmental process with the target being clearing the second round of the 2020 Olympic qualifiers. Playing in the Hero Gold Cup against the likes of Myanmar, Nepal and Iran was really good for us and was a massive learning experience. Now, we know which areas of the game we lack in and what we need to work on,” she stated.

The coach also thanked All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Government of Odisha for organizing the four-team event: “The AIFF and Government of Odisha have given us such a big platform to play. All the three matches were tough and of high-intensity. It was great preparation for the challenges ahead.”

Rocky picked a relatively young side for the Hero Gold Cup, with a number of youngsters donning their senior India colors for the first time. One was 17-year-old Manisha, who hails from Punjab, and came on as a substitute in the opening game against Iran. She also made her first senior start against Myanmar.

Manisha had this to say about the experience of playing in the competition: “It was a special feeling, playing for India in India. All three matches were extremely competitive and for me, as a player, and for the team, they were a great learning experience.”

Referring to the forthcoming SAFF Championship, Maymol stressed ‘it’s a must-win for us’.

“We will play Nepal in the semi-final or final, and the match will certainly be a tough one given our recent results against them. We have a month to train and we will leave no stone unturned in our preparation as we look to make it five titles in a row,” said Rocky.

India will play Nepal in April, this time in the second round of the 2020 Olympics qualifiers. They have been drawn against Myanmar, Nepal, and Indonesia in Group A, with only the top team in the group qualifying for Round 3.

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“We are very lucky to win against India. The goal we scored early on was a lucky goal for us. If went goalless into the interval, I’m sure we would have had some problems,” Head coach Win Thu Moe commented.

Myanmar took the lead in the 2nd minute when a defensive lapse allowed them to score.

“India and Myanmar are not very different. In fact, India are the strongest team that we have faced. It was a very tough match to play against them. It is very difficult to win against India. Our players became tired in the match. We were stretched to our limits. We wanted to keep ball possession but could not control that,” said Moe.

“I was very surprised that India lost against Nepal. We were expecting to see India in the final but I am happy that we have Nepal as opponents in the final,” he added.

Coincidentally, India has been drawn against hosts Myanmar, Nepal, and Indonesia in Round 2 of the Olympic Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.

“We play India in the last match of the Olympic Qualifiers and we are sure that it will be the match that decides who goes through. It will be a tough match for us,” said Moe.

He also praised midfielder Ratanbala Devi as ‘a very good player’ and ‘the best in the Indian team.”

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Ratanbala Devi hit home a free kick in the 83rd minute but it wasn’t enough as India registered its first loss in the four-nation tournament.

Myanmar is seated at the top of the table with 6 points from 2 games and India and Nepal are locked in second place with 3 points each after the second day. Iran is yet to open its account having played an equal number of games.

India skipper Aditi Chauhan erred in grabbing a cross from the right flank which allowed Bhandari to score into an empty net.

Maymol Rocky’s team switched gears and Dalima Chibber could have hit the target with a long ranger only to miss by a whisker. Sanju’s lay-off was collected by Jabamani Tudu but the cross was too heavy for onrushing goalkeeper Anju Tamang.

India had another chance in the dying minutes of the first half but Anju could rattle only the side-netting.

They had two back-to-back chances to breach the sturdy Nepalese defence but the score line remained the same.

Sanju and Sandhiya, who replaced Anju Tamang in the 57th minute, coordinated well but failed to find the back of the net in the 74th minute. Sanju tucked in a goal but was ruled offside in the 75th minute.

India got a free-kick at the edge of the box owing to a handball by a Nepalese defender and Ratanbala Devi converted it to bring some life back to the game in the 83rd minute.

India tried their best to find the equalizer but Nepal stood firm to clinch all three points

India will face Myanmar in the final game of the group stage at the same venue on Wednesday.

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Anju Tamang’s winner in the 48th minute ensured that India made it five wins in a row. They had won the last four friendly games against Hong Kong and Indonesia respectively.

India had the first chance of the game in the second minute. Winger Dangmei Grace latched on to a loose back-pass and raced towards goal only to have her shot cleared away by the goalkeeper.

Iran fought back into the game but India was equal to the task. The first half was played predominantly in the midfield as both sides battled for possession. Coach Maymol Rocky’s side had a good number of opportunities to score.

Anju showed great skill in the 15th minute to get into the box and find Ratanbala Devi whose first-time shot was wide of the target. Seven minutes later Sanju got her head to a cross but the effort did not have enough power.

India had their next best chance in the 30th minute after a ball from the right caused chaos in the Iranian penalty area. It fell to Ratanbala who laid it off with her back to the goal. The shot was cleared off the line!

Iran caused a serious scare for the home side as the game went towards half time. Forward Sara Ghomimarzdashti ran through towards goal. Her shot was on target but Indian custodian Aditi Chauhan collected it to prevent any damage.

India got off to an electric start in the second half as Ratanbala played in Sanju whose shot from a tight angle went over the crossbar. The Ratanbala-Sanju duo combined well to set up the opening goal two minutes later.

Sanju was played in behind the defence as she drew out the goalkeeper with a superb first touch. She squared the ball to Anju with the second touch. Anju scored and made it 1-0! Indumathi’s powerful long ranged effort whizzed past the post three minutes later.

Iran applied pressure but the Indian defence stood firm. The central defensive pairing of Ashalata Devi and Sweety Devi was excellent in positioning and Aditi handled her troops well.

The visitors threw players forward and were left vulnerable on the back. India almost grabbed a second goal as Sanju’s shot rebounded off the woodwork.

MYANMAR BEAT NEPAL: Myanmar recorded a 3-0 victory against Nepal in the first game. Win Theingi Tun scored a goal and Khin Moe Wai grabbed a brace to give them the three points.

India (Starting XI): Aditi Chauhan (GK, C); Dalima Chhibber, Sweety Devi (Lako Bhutia 90+2′), Ashalata Devi, Jabamani Tudu; Sangita Basfore, Indumathi K (Sumithra K 66′), Ratanbala Devi; Sanju, Dangmei Grace (Ranjana Chanu 90+1′), Anju Tamang (Manisha 72′)

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