The Indian U17 women's football team has officially begun its preparations for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. The first group of 24 players reported to a training camp at The Sports School in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
This camp is a crucial step ahead of the Qualifiers scheduled to take place in Malaysia from October 5 to 11, 2026. India has been placed in Group E, competing against the host nation Malaysia, as well as Syria and Iraq. Players born on or after January 1, 2010, are eligible to participate in the tournament, as stated in a press release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
New Leadership for the Team
Joakim Alexandersson has taken over as the head coach of the U17 women's team for this qualification cycle. He replaces Pamela Conti, who concluded her contract after coaching the team during the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2026. Alexandersson previously led the team to qualify for the 2026 tournament and also coached the U20 squad in the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2026.
Goals for the Upcoming Qualifiers
The U17 team made history just a few months ago by reaching the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup for the first time. This current training camp is aimed at building on that success, with the goal of achieving back-to-back qualifications for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cups, a first for the team.
Ongoing Scouting Efforts
While the initial group of 24 players has reported, the selection process is still in progress. More players are anticipated to join the camp as scouting continues nationwide.
Earlier this month, Coach Alexandersson participated in the Khelo India Performance Assessment Camp in New Delhi, where he evaluated several young talents. He also visited the FIFA-AIFF Telangana Talent Academy in Hyderabad as part of the player scouting initiative.
The scouting will extend into the upcoming AIFF U17 Women's Youth League 2026-27, which is set to commence in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on July 18. Alexandersson plans to attend the competition to observe performances and identify additional players for the national team.
Further assessments will be conducted in the coming weeks before the final squad for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers is announced.
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