The Indian U17 women’s team has kicked off its preparations for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers with a training camp at The Sports School. The camp, which started with 24 players, is the initial step towards the Qualifiers scheduled in Malaysia from October 5 to 11, 2026. India is placed in Group E along with Malaysia, Syria, and Iraq for the upcoming tournament.
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson has assumed leadership of the U17 women’s team for the new qualification cycle, succeeding Pamela Conti who concluded her contract in May. Alexandersson, who previously guided the team to qualify for the 2026 tournament, also managed the U20 side in the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
Not long ago, the U17 team made history by reaching the Asian Cup quarterfinals for the first time. The current training camp signifies the team’s ambition to qualify for consecutive AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cups. While the initial group consists of 24 players, the selection process is ongoing, with more players expected to join after further scouting nationwide.
Recently, Alexandersson participated in the Khelo India Performance Assessment Camp in New Delhi and visited the FIFA-AIFF Telangana Talent Academy in Hyderabad to identify potential talents. The scouting activities will extend to the AIFF U17 Women’s Youth League 2026-27, starting in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on July 18. Alexandersson will monitor performances at the league to identify additional players for the national team camp.
In the upcoming weeks, further evaluations will be conducted to finalize and announce the preliminary squad for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers.
