The India U17 women’s football team will commence their AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers on Monday with a Group E match against Iraq at the MP Selayang Stadium in Selayang, Malaysia.
India aims to secure back-to-back qualifications for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time, building on their historic run in the previous edition in China in 2026, where they reached the knockout stage for the first time. Their campaign ended with a 0-3 loss to the hosts in the quarter-finals, marking India’s best-ever finish in the tournament.
The current 23-player squad includes 11 returning players from that successful team. Preparations for the qualifiers began in July in Bengaluru, followed by a training camp in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where India played two closed-door friendlies against Uzbekistan, both ending 0-0. After returning to India, the team continued training in Goa, hosting the Philippines in two friendlies, losing 2-4 before winning 2-0 in the second match.
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson said the extended preparation period has helped establish clear tactical principles. “We started with trials during the first three weeks, and then we have built the team step by step. Now everyone knows what we want to do in attack and how we want to be organised defensively. During the last few weeks, we have focused more on technical quality and speed of play,” he said.
He also noted the importance of team cohesion developed during training. “Throughout the process, we have also tried to make the players understand the importance of communication, hard work and supporting each other,” Alexandersson added.
Regarding their opponents, Iraq, Alexandersson acknowledged the limited information available. “I don’t know very much about this Iraqi team because there aren’t any matches to analyse. However, previous Iraqi teams have tried to play quite compact and defensively, looking to create opportunities through counter-attacks,” he stated.
The Young Tigresses are motivated to qualify again, recognising the significance of the opportunity. “It would mean a lot to us to qualify again because that would give the players the opportunity to compete against the best teams in Asia, and they could take that experience with them throughout their future careers. It would also give future U17 teams a better chance of qualifying in the years to come,” Alexandersson said.