Latest news with #AsianCup2026Qualifiers
News18
3 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
India Go Up Against Resilient Timor Leste In AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers
Last Updated: Indian women's football team will look to continue the winning momentum in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers when they take on Timor Leste. Following a resounding victory in their tournament opener, the Indian team aims to maintain their winning momentum in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers as they face Timor Leste on Sunday. Group B, consisting of five teams, is currently led by Iraq, who have secured four points after a 5-2 win over Mongolia and a 0-0 draw with Timor Leste. Both India, having defeated Mongolia 13-0, and Thailand, with a 4-0 victory over Timor Leste, have three points each. Despite Timor Leste being ranked 158th, 32 spots below Mongolia, India's coach Crispin Chettri anticipates a tougher challenge from the Southeast Asian team. Having observed all teams in action after the first two matchdays, there is now a clearer understanding of the remaining three opponents. 'Timor Leste are better organised than Mongolia and, defensively, even stronger than Iraq. They prefer counter-attacks and are comfortable with possession," Chettri noted. 'They have their strengths, but Thailand dominated the match against them, so it's hard to gauge their attack. However, they have pace in their team." Chettri and his coaching staff watched the match at the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium on Thursday, where Timor Leste held 46th-ranked Thailand to four goals. India, ranked 70th, have never played against Timor Leste before. They have participated in four editions of the ASEAN Women's Championship, with their only official win being a 2-1 victory over Singapore in 2019. Their 0-0 draw with Iraq on Monday marked their first-ever point in an AFC competition. India used their five-day break to recover and prepare for the demanding schedule ahead, with three matches in a week. The Blue Tigresses had two morning training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, and two sessions on Friday and Saturday. 'I believe that in a tournament with four matches, this kind of rest aids in team building. We worked on a few tactical aspects that we may not have executed well in the first match. 'We had four training sessions to focus on that, which has helped us prepare for the upcoming matches and specific teams," said Chettri. There was no training on Wednesday, as Chettri gave the players a complete rest day to refresh, something he considers crucial between games. 'In my view, recovery and spending time away from football are important. In a high-pressure tournament with consecutive matches, taking a break from the game helps. Players return more focused to the next training session, putting in more effort, which helps them mentally too," Chettri explained. First Published: June 28, 2025, 15:07 IST
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
India face resilient Timor Leste in AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers
Chiang Mai , Coming off a thumping victory in its tournament opener, the Indian team will look to continue the winning momentum in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers when it takes on Timor Leste here on Sunday. HT Image The five-team Group B is currently led by Iraq, who are on four points after a 5-2 victory over Mongolia and a 0-0 draw with Timor Leste. India, who beat Mongolia 13-0, and Thailand, who beat Timor Leste 4-0, are on three points each. Despite Timor Leste being ranked 158th, 32 places below Mongolia, India coach Crispin Chettri believed that the Southeast Asian side would pose a stronger challenge. Having watched all teams in action after the first two matchdays, there's now a much clearer assessment of the remaining three opponents. "Timor Leste are a better organised team than Mongolia, and I feel they are better organised defensively than Iraq as well. They prefer going for counter-attacks. They don't mind keeping the ball either," Chettri said. "So, in patches, they are good. But as Thailand dominated the match completely, we can't say much about their attack. But they have got pace in their team as well." Chettri and his coaching staff were in attendance at the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium on Thursday as Timor Leste kept 46th-ranked Thailand to four goals. India, ranked 70, have never faced Timor Leste before. Coached by Indonesian Emral bin Bustamam, Timor Leste have been more active in international football as compared to Mongolia. They finished fourth in the 2024 AFF Women's Cup, where they drew against Laos and Singapore. They have played in four editions of the ASEAN Women's Championship, and the 2-1 win over Singapore in 2019 remains the only official victory in their history. The 0-0 draw with Iraq on Monday was their first-ever point in an AFC competition. India utilised their five-day break to recover and prepare for the tighter schedule ahead, with three matches in a week. The Blue Tigresses had two morning training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, and two sessions on Friday and Saturday. "I think when you have a tournament of four matches, this kind of rest helps in team building. Tactically, we worked on a few things which maybe we didn't do well in the first match. "We had four training sessions to work on that. So, I think that has helped us a lot in preparing for our upcoming matches and specifically for certain teams also," said Chettri. There was no training on Wednesday as Chettri gave complete rest to the players, allowing them time to refresh, something the coach believes is necessary between games. "For me, recovery and staying outside football for a certain time is important. When you are in a tournament with high pressure and playing back-to-back matches, sometimes getting out of the football zone, being yourself, and not thinking about the game is helpful, I believe," the India coach said. "Players will come out more focused in the next day's training session. They will put in more effort, and I think that will help them cope mentally too," said Chettri. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Bangladesh squad for AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026: Sabina Khatun not named in Peter Butler's team
Seasoned international Sabina Khatun was not part of Bangladesh's 23-member squad for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers named by head coach Peter Butler. The Bengal Tigresses plays Bahrain, Myanmar, and Turkmenistan in the qualifiers with the group winner advancing to the tournament set to be held in Australia next year. The 31-year-old forward in February had led a protest against Butler where more than a dozen women's national team players refused to train under the Englishman and accused him of inappropriate behaviour. However, this stand-off wasn't the reason behind the player's exclusion, according to Butler. 'I think Sabina has run her race. If I'm being honest with you, if I'm being practical, I think her time's come to an end. I think you've got to move on,' the coach had said during a press conference last month. Bangladesh squad for AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers Goalkeepers: Rupna Chakma, Swarna Rani Mandal, Mile Akter Defenders: Sheuli Azim, Shamsunnahar S, Afeida Khandakar, MST Joynob Bibi Rita, Nilufa Yasmin Nila Midfielders: Monika Chakma, Maria Manda, Most Munki Akhter, Sapna Rani, Kohati Kisku, MST Halima Akther Forwards: Ritu Porna Chakma, Tohura Khatun, Shamsunnahar J, MST Sagorika, Shaheda Akter Ripa, Sauravi Akanda Prity, Most Sultana, Nabiran Khatun, Umehla Marma Bangladesh AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers schedule Bangladesh vs Bahrain - June 29 at 5 pm (4:30 pm IST) Bangladesh vs Myanmar - July 2 at 2 pm (1:30 pm IST) Bangladesh vs Turkmenistan - July 5 at 5 pm (4:30 pm IST)
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India vs Kyrgyzstan U-23 LIVE streaming info: When, where to watch Naushad Moosa's team in the friendly match?
The Indian U-23 football team will take on Kyrgyz Republic in a friendly fixture at the Hisor Central Stadium on Saturday. In the previous friendly game earlier this week, India suffered a 2-3 loss against Tajikistan at the TALCO Arena in Tursunzoda. For the Blue Colts, these matches in Tajikistan are part of their preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers that will be held in September. LIVE STREAMING/TELECAST INFORMATION When is the India U-23 vs Kyrgyz Republic friendly match? The India U-23 men's team friendly match against Kyrgyz Republic will be played on Saturday, June 21, 8:30 pm IST onwards at the Hisor Central Stadium. Where to watch the India U-23 vs Kyrgyz Republic friendly match LIVE? Second matchday for the U23 boys in Tajikistan! ⚔️ The #BlueColts take on Kyrgyz Republic today 👊 🇮🇳🆚🇰🇬 🕣 20:30 IST 🏟️ Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor 📺 Live on Football TV Tajikistan YouTube Channel #INDKGZ#IndianFootball ⚽ — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 21, 2025 Related Topics India U-23
The Print
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Print
India gear up for Tajikistan test ahead of U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers
Drawn in Group E alongside Bahrain, Qatar and Brunei Darussalam, India will be aiming to qualify for the continental event for the first time when the qualifiers are held in September. The match will be played at the Hisor Central Stadium near Dushanbe, with the second fixture against Kyrgyz Republic scheduled for Saturday. New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) India men's football team will take on hosts Tajikistan in a friendly match on Wednesday, kicking off a crucial two-match tour that serves as preparation for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers later this year. The ongoing tour is seen as a vital tune-up in terms of acclimatisation, team cohesion, and tactical fine-tuning. The Naushad Moosa-coached 23-member squad had been in camp in Kolkata since June 1 before flying out to Dushanbe. After arriving in the Tajik capital on Monday evening, the team held a mobility session Tuesday morning and followed it up with a 90-minute evening training session at the venue, which is located around 25 kilometres from the city. Tajikistan U23s were last in action in November 2024 when they lost two friendlies against United Arab Emirates, both by a 0-3 margin. At the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024, Tajikistan were knocked out in the group stage after defeats to Iraq and Saudi Arabia and a win over Thailand. Moosa, however, is not reading too much into past results and is focused on the task at hand. 'We know Tajikistan are a strong team. They qualified for the U23 Asian Cup last year and also did well at the senior Asian Cup,' Moosa stated in AIFF website. 'The players will, of course, be different tomorrow. The coach has changed. We just have to go out there and do our job right,' added Moosa. Despite Dushanbe being located 700 metres above sea level, the weather is hot at this time of the year, soaring to almost 40 degrees during the day. What the Blue Colts mainly have to adjust to is the artificial turf surface of the Hisor Central Stadium, located 25 kilometres from the city of Dushanbe. Moosa hoped for a good turnout at the 20,000-capacity venue. 'The weather is pretty warm. It's normal for us. It's always good to have supporters in the stands. We would love to have them cheer for us,' said Moosa. 'Most of our players are coming here for the first time, so it would be great motivation for them. I think the last time the Indian senior team played in Tajikistan, there were a lot of Indian fans in the stadium, so let's hope for the same.' This tour marks Moosa's second assignment with the India U-23 side, having previously overseen their two friendlies against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last year. The 53-year-old has been building momentum and instilling belief in the squad during this ongoing preparation phase. 'The boys are very eager for tomorrow. I've been talking to them about how important these games will be for us,' added Moosa. Kickoff: 8:30pm IST. PTI TAP APA APA This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
