India take on Mongolia in their opening Group B match
Chiang Mai: The Indian senior women’s football team begin their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 Qualifiers campaign today in Chiang Mai with their sights firmly set on making history. Standing in their way in the Group B opener are Mongolia, with kick-off scheduled for 2:30 p.m. IST at the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium.
It has been over two decades since the Blue Tigresses last made it to the final tournament of the continent’s premier competition — their last appearance came in 2003. A golden opportunity arose when India hosted the 2022 edition, but a COVID-19 outbreak forced the team to withdraw after their opening game, nullifying their results.
This time, there’s a determined sense of unfinished business as head coach Crispin Chettri leads a youthful but balanced squad into the qualifiers. “Our only aim is to earn that ticket to Australia,” Chettri said. “This is a chance to create new history.” India have previously finished runners-up twice (1980, 1983) and secured third place in 1981 in the former Asian Women’s Championship, but qualification via the modern route would mark a first.
Ranked 70th in the world, India will face Mongolia (ranked 126th), Timor Leste (158th), Iraq (173rd), and hosts Thailand (46th) over the next two weeks. Only the group winners will earn a spot in the 2026 finals in Australia, which also double as qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
India’s only familiar foe in the group is Thailand, and Chettri admits that information on the other opponents is scarce. “We don’t have much data on Mongolia, Timor Leste or Iraq. Thailand recently played Nepal in closed-door friendlies, so we’ve studied them a bit.”
The Blue Tigresses prepared with two hard-fought friendlies against Uzbekistan, losing both narrowly by 0-1 margins. “Those matches gave us valuable insight,” said Chettri. “I tested various midfield combinations — Sangita, Karthika, Ratanbala, Grace, Anju — and we’ve grown from there.”
Having arrived in Chiang Mai on June 16, India have had time to adjust to the humidity and get in quality sessions, including a full in-house match on Thursday. “Coming early helped us acclimatise. The ground conditions are great, and the squad looks sharp,” Chettri noted. India’s average squad age is just 23.6, featuring a blend of promise and poise. Emerging talents like Monalisha Moirangthem, who debuted in goal against Uzbekistan, will rub shoulders with seasoned campaigners like Dangmei Grace and Anju Tamang. “I’m not afraid to field youngsters,” said Chettri. “This is how they’ll learn and grow.”
With over 45 days of camp behind them, the team’s chemistry is peaking at the right time. “We’ve moved beyond the physical phase. Now it’s about refining tactics, set-pieces, and match-day execution,” said the coach.
