After training in Gurugram, the India U17 women’s national team has reached Suzhou for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026. India, making a comeback to the tournament after 21 years, is set to kick off their campaign against Australia on May 2 at 5:00 PM IST on Pitch 8, followed by matches against Japan on May 5 at 5:00 PM IST on Pitch 4, and Lebanon on May 8 at 1:00 PM IST on Pitch 8, all at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre pitches.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams overall, will progress to the quarter-finals. The four quarter-final victors will secure spots in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026. The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 will be live-streamed on the AFC Asian Cup YouTube Channel.
The team, under the guidance of Italian head coach Pamela Conti, has been in continuous training for over three months, mainly in Bengaluru. They recently won the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship and secured friendly victories against Myanmar. Despite losing all three friendly matches against Russia, the games provided valuable experience for the upcoming Asian competition.
Following their return from Russia, the team extended their training camp in Gurugram before departing for China. The 23-member squad for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 includes goalkeepers Munni, Surajmuni Kumari, and Tamphasana Devi Konjengbam, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
