India will kick off their campaign for the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2026 qualifiers with a clash against Mongolia on Monday, June 23, at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Blue Tigress are placed in Group B of the qualifiers, alongside Mongolia, Timor Leste, Iraq, and hosts Thailand. Only the group winners will book a spot in the final tournament, which is scheduled to be held in Australia in March 2026.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup also doubles up as a qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
The last time when India qualified for the continental showpiece was in 2003. Although they hosted the 2022 edition, a COVID-19 outbreak in the camp forced their withdrawal after just one match. With the upcoming tournament, India will be looking for a fresh start in hopes to end the 40-year drought.
The qualifiers in Thailand mark a fresh start under head coach Crispin Chettri, who has named a 24-member squad to travel to Thailand.
"I was happy with the preparations in Bengaluru," said Chettri ahead of the qualifiers. "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 (Shirvoikar), Sandhiya (Ranganathan) and Renu due to injuries. But that's part and parcel of football. And as compared to the Pink Ladies Cup squad (in February), we have more experienced players with us now."
India Women Football Squad:
Goalkeepers: Elangbam Panthoi Chanu, Moirangthem Monalisha Devi, 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.
India Vs Mongolia Live Streaming:
When is the India Vs Mongolia, Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers match?
The India Vs Mongolia, Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers match will be held on June 23, Monday at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand at 2:30 PM IST.
Where to watch India Vs Mongolia, Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers match?
The India Vs Mongolia, Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers match will be live streamed on the Thai Women's Football Facebook Page and Changsuek YouTube Channel.
