On cusp of history: India one step away from first AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup qualification on merit

New Delhi [India], October 17 (ANI): The Indian U17 women's team are a step away, or to be precise, a point away, from scripting history by becoming the first-ever batch to earn a place in the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup on merit.
The Young Tigresses will face Uzbekistan in their final qualifying encounter in Group G at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek on Friday, knowing that avoiding defeat will secure their place at the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026, as per AIFF.
"This game is what we have been working for all these months," said captain Julan Nongmaithem, who scored a stunning 90th-minute volley to guide India to a 2-1 win over the Kyrgyz Republic in the first game on Monday.
"It was a tough start to the qualifiers against the Kyrgyz Republic, but we were happy to get the win in the end. That gave us a good advantage heading into the last game," Julan added.
As usual, the 14-year-old dedicated the goal to her late father, who passed away last year. "I know he's watching from heaven," an emotional Julan said after the game.
Kyrgyz Republic bounced back and defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in the second match on Wednesday. That means India still leads the three-team group due to a superior head-to-head record, and a point against Uzbekistan will see them top the standings and book their ticket to China next year.
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson was somewhat disappointed with the overall performance in the first game, despite the win, but assured that the team's confidence remains intact.
"We weren't able to play exactly the way we wanted. We struggled in our build-up phases through most of the match. But in the second half, we used the flanks more effectively, creating some good attacking moments. Although the display didn't fully reflect our potential, we were happy to get the three points, which I thought we deserved," said the Swede.
Alexandersson and his coaching staff were in attendance at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Wednesday to watch Uzbekistan's first game of the qualifiers. Sharing his thoughts on the opponents, he said, "Kyrgyz Republic were tougher physically and more sharp, but Uzbekistan tried to play more with the ball.
"I'm sure Uzbekistan will really want to bounce back from this result, so I expect nothing less than a tough game for us in the last match. We will have more rest and more days to prepare than they will, which should normally be an advantage, but you never know. There's one game to go, and they will fight very hard for three points. We'll go for a win, obviously. There's no point sitting back and playing for a draw. That's always risky. So we'll try to play our own game and not think too much about the scenarios. Everything is in our hands," the head coach affirmed.
Just over two months ago, Alexandersson led the U20S to AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup qualification, ending a 20-year wait. Now, the Swede finds himself on the cusp of more glory and snapping a bigger drought. The last time India played the AFC U17 Women's Championship was in 2005, when 11 teams participated directly. However, since the qualification system was introduced, India have never made it among Asia's elite, and never been as close as they are now.
Alexandersson knows exactly how big a boost this can be for not just the U17 girls but for women's football in India, especially after the senior team also qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup on merit for the first time ever.
"I'd be very happy if the U17S can achieve this as well. It would mean a lot for the coming years of women's football in India to see not only the senior team, but also the U20 and U17 teams reaching this level. Hopefully, it will inspire even more girls across India to take up this beautiful sport." (ANI)