11-08-2025
India qualify for AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup for the first time in two decades
AFC/ANI
Yangon
Shubhangi Singh paid credit to her teammates after India ended a 20-year wait by qualifying for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup Thailand 2026 on Sunday.
Midfielder Pooja's 27th minute strike earned India a 1-0 win over hosts Myanmar, confirming the South Asian team as the Group D winners, with Shubhangi playing the skipper's role to perfection for Joakim Alexandersson's side.
'I'm beyond happy. The way we worked as a team - especially in the second half. We gave it everything and it was totally worth it,' said the 19-year-old Shubhangi, who plays her club football for Gokulam Kerala FC.
'Playing in front of 7,000 fans came with a bit of pressure, but we told ourselves they were cheering for us, and that gave us a real boost.'
The sides went into Sunday's encounter tied on four points, with India having drawn 0-0 with Indonesia and defeating Turkmenistan 7-0 in their earlier matches.
'I believe we were the better team, but credit to them, they played really well. We came in with a winning mindset, we went for it, and we came back with the victory. That's all that matters, and I'm very happy.'
After a victorious campaign in Yangon, the Young Tigresses received a warm welcome upon their arrival in New Delhi on Monday morning.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a reward of $25,000 for the U20 women's national team following their outstanding performance.
Winger Neha was one of the few players who returned grieving from Vietnam two years ago and had an opportunity to redeem themselves this time in Myanmar. The relief on her face after the game was palpable.
'I feel ecstatic that I've done it for the first time, finally. Last time in Vietnam, we missed the qualifiers by just a goal. But this time, I feel proud. I would like to extend my gratitude to my father. Before the match, for the first time, he told me, 'Beta, go do something for Team India today', so I'm feeling very proud. The coach also noticed there's something good in me and supported me a lot. I would also like to thank my papa,' said the 19-year-old who provided the assist for Pooja's winning goal with a superb cross from the left flank.
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson, who has trained this bunch since his appointment in December last year, had wet eyes after his first significant achievement in Indian women's football.
'This is very special for the girls. They've been preparing for many months now, and seeing how the senior women's team qualified in such a fantastic way gave them extra motivation. They had a great spirit and really wanted to achieve this too. Qualifying for the Asian Cup was our only goal when we arrived in Myanmar, and now we've done it,' said Alexandersson.
Eyes will now also be on the India U17 women's team, who will aim to complete a hat-trick of Asian Cup qualifications for Indian women's football this year.
The U17S haven't competed at the Asian Cup since 2005, which means ending another two-decade-long wait will be on the cards. In preparation for the Qualifiers, the U17S will play the SAFF U17 Women's Championship beginning on August 20.
The Qualifiers will take place from October 13 to 17, where the Young Tigresses will face Uzbekistan and hosts, the Kyrgyz Republic.
