Picture Credit: X
The Indian women’s football team had a flawless campaign in AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, held in Thailand. Throughout the qualifiers the Indian side remained unbeaten and their performance earned them a qualification to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia in March 2026. India’s last appearance at the continental showpiece came in 2003, when there were no qualifiers. They also participated in 2022 as hosts, but withdrew due to COVID-19 outbreak.
With a win, it’ll be the first time that the Indian women’s football team have booked a ticket to the continental championship through the qualification route. The Blue Tigresses won all their four matches in convincing fashion, as they recorded emphatic wins over Mongolia (13-0), Timor-Leste (4-0), and Iraq (5-0), before capping off the group stage with a crucial 2-1 win against higher-ranked hosts, Thailand.
AIFF announces reward for Asian Cup 2026 qualification
Following their dominant show in Thailand, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced a reward of USD 50,000 (INR 42.75 Lakh) for the senior Indian women’s football team. The development was confirmed in a social media post on X, stating, “ AIFF announces reward for fantastic #BlueTigresses”. The victory over Thailand, who are ranked 46th in the world compared to India’s 70th, was a massive achievement and highlighted growing signs in Asian football. Moreover, it was India women’s team’s first win over Thailand.
India triumph 2-1 in an edge-of-the seat clash against Thailand
Like India, their arch-rivals of the group Thailand also opened the tournament in a similar manner. Coached by Japanese tactician Futoshi Ikeda, Thailand beat Mongolia, Timor-Leste and Iraq by scores of 11-0, 4-0 and 7-0 respectively. The kind of performances by both India and Thailand in the qualifiers, made their clash a virtual knockout for the lone qualification spot. In the match, midfielder Sangita Basfore was the star for India, scoring a brace to script the memorable win. She struck first in the 28th minute to put the Crispin Chhetri-coached side ahead. Thailand equalised the score through Chatchawan Rodthong just after the break in the 47th minute. However, Basfore found the net again in the 74th minute to restore India’s lead, thus taking the game.
After the match in a video posted on the official handle of the Indian Football Team, Sangita said, “It’s not about the Asian Cup, the World Cup is our target.” The qualification to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 gives the Blue Tigresses a chance to go to new heights with a potential maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup berth in 2027.
