Selayang, 10 October (H.S.): The Indian U-17 women’s football team will take on hosts Malaysia in a decisive Group E encounter on Sunday, October 11, with a victory or a draw enough to secure qualification for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup for the second consecutive time. The match will kick off at 6.30 pm IST at the MP Selayang Stadium in Selayang, Malaysia, and will be streamed live on FAMTV Malaysia’s YouTube channel.

Both teams have collected six points from their opening two matches in Group E. India sit at the top of the standings on superior goal difference, having scored 16 goals without conceding. Malaysia, meanwhile, have scored five goals and have also maintained a clean sheet in both their matches.

India need to avoid defeat to finish the group stage at the summit and seal qualification. A draw would leave both sides level on points and preserve India’s advantage in goal difference, ensuring that the Blue Tigresses remain top of the group. Malaysia, on the other hand, must win to overtake India and secure a place in next year’s tournament in China.

A Historic Opportunity to Qualify for a Second Consecutive Asian Cup

Only the winners of the eight qualifying groups will advance to the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027. North Korea, Japan, Australia and hosts China have already secured qualification for the 2027 edition by finishing among the top four teams at the 2026 tournament.

India reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 edition, marking their first-ever appearance in the knockout stage. The team now has an opportunity to achieve another historic milestone by becoming the first Indian women’s team at any age-group level to feature in two consecutive editions of the Asian Cup.

Head coach Joakim Alexandersson said the team would not approach the match with the sole objective of securing a draw, stressing that the players would take the field with the intention of winning.

“We have to go into the match with the intention of winning. It is difficult to tell young players that a draw would be enough. We will try to win, but at the same time, we need to be more intelligent in our attacking play and maintain the right balance,” he said.

Anushka Kumari Leads India’s Attack with Seven Goals

India have registered victories in contrasting fashion in the qualifiers. They began their campaign with a record-breaking 14-0 demolition of Iraq, the biggest win in the history of the Indian U-17 women’s team. On Thursday, they followed it up with a composed 2-0 victory over Syria.

Malaysia, meanwhile, opened their campaign with a 1-0 win against Syria before defeating Iraq 4-0. The two sides will now face off for the group’s sole qualifying berth.

Anushka Kumari has spearheaded India’s attacking charge, scoring five goals against Iraq before netting both goals in the victory over Syria. Her tally of seven goals makes her one of the standout performers in the qualifying campaign, accounting for nearly half of India’s total goals.

The 15-year-old said she was pleased with her goal-scoring form but emphasised that her achievements were the result of a collective team effort.

“It feels good to have scored seven goals, but it is not just about me. My teammates create opportunities and provide me with passes, and I try to convert them into goals. It is a collective effort by the entire team. We are all working hard, and I am grateful for the support of my teammates and coaches,” she said.

Anushka acknowledged that India could have scored more goals against Syria but failed to capitalise on all their opportunities. She stressed that the team would need to sharpen its attacking play and move the ball forward more quickly against Malaysia to put the opposition under sustained pressure.

India Focus on Tactical Preparations for Malaysia Test

After a demanding schedule of consecutive training sessions and two matches in four days, head coach Alexandersson gave the players a lighter programme on Friday. The morning session included light exercise and strength training, followed by around 30 minutes in the pool to help the players recover.

The team has since shifted its focus entirely to the crucial encounter against Malaysia. India will complete their official training session under floodlights on Saturday evening as they fine-tune their preparations for the decisive qualifier.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar