AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026: Crispin Chettri announces 24-member squad, Indian team departs for Thailand
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The Blue Tigresses, placed in Group B, will compete against Mongolia, Timor Leste, Iraq, and hosts Thailand at the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium.
The team will arrive in Thailand on Monday evening and train for a week in Chiang Mai before their opening game. The winner of Group B will secure a spot in the final tournament in Australia in March 2026, which also serves as a qualifier for the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027.
The squad completed a six-week camp at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, where they played two friendly matches against Uzbekistan on May 30 and June 3, losing both games 0-1.
"I was happy with the preparations in Bengaluru. We trained for more than 40 days. The training ground and all the facilities were excellent. As far as the squad is concerned, we have a good mixture of young and senior players.
Unfortunately, we had to let go of forwards like Karishma, Sandhiya and Renu due to injuries. But that's part and parcel of football. And as compared to the Pink Ladies Cup squad, we have more experienced players with us now," said Chettri.
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During the two preparatory friendlies against Uzbekistan, the Indian coach experimented with various combinations, rotating eight players for the second game and giving five players their debuts.
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"We had a clear plan for those two friendlies. We were trying to find the right combination for the qualifiers because we have to play almost four games in 13 days. Rotating players and giving them proper recovery time is important. We created many more chances in the second game as compared to the first, but the conversion was the problem, and that's what we'll work on in the coming days," Chettri explained.
The team will arrive in Chiang Mai a week before their first match against Mongolia to adapt to the humid weather conditions.
They will have a five-day gap before their second game against Timor Leste.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's Coach on England Prep, Opening Partner, & Playing Under Gill
"I'm pleased with the federation for sending us early to Thailand. There is ample time for acclimatisation and recovery. In Bengaluru, the weather has been very pleasant. But Chiang Mai is quite hot and humid at this time of the year. So, this week will help us a lot in our preparation," added Chettri.
Squad for AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Elangbam Panthoi Chanu, Moirangthem Monalisha Devi, and Payal Basude.
Defenders: Hemam Shilky Devi, Kiran Pisda, Martina Thokchom, Ngangbam Sweety Devi, Phanjoubam Nirmala Devi, Purnima Kumari, Sanju, Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu.
Midfielders: Anju Tamang, Grace Dangmei, Karthika Angamuthu, Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi, Priyadharshini Selladurai, Sangita Basfore.
Forwards: Lynda Kom Serto, Malavika P, Manisha Kalyan, Manisha Naik, Pyari Xaxa, Rimpa Haldar, Soumya Guguloth.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach : Crispin Chettri
: Crispin Chettri Assistant Coach : Priya PV
: Priya PV Assistant Coach : Nivetha Ramadoss
: Nivetha Ramadoss Goalkeeper Coach : Mario Luis Aguiar
: Mario Luis Aguiar Strength and Conditioning Coach: Chelston Pinto
India's campaign in Group B begins against Mongolia on June 23, followed by matches against Timor Leste on June 29, Iraq on July 2, and hosts Thailand on July 5.
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