The Indian senior women’s national team is set to take on Japan in their second Group C match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 at the Perth Rectangular Stadium in Perth, Australia. Despite a 1-2 loss to Vietnam in their first match, India currently holds the third position in the group, with Japan securing a 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei. Historically, Japan, ranked eighth in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, has dominated the Blue Tigresses, winning all three previous encounters and scoring 19 goals.
India, after a two-day recovery period from the Vietnam match, is focused on preparing the players for the upcoming challenge against Japan. Head coach Amelia Valverde emphasized the importance of player recovery and readiness for the match. Valverde acknowledged the strength of Japan, winners of the Asian Cup in 2014 and 2018, and the World Cup in 2011, highlighting their possession-based style and dynamism.
Midfielder Sangita Basfore expressed determination to rectify mistakes from the previous game and improve performance against Japan. Basfore emphasized the team’s commitment to learning from past errors and delivering a better showing in the upcoming match. Japan’s head coach, Nils Nielsen, expressed confidence in his team’s ability to create scoring opportunities against India, acknowledging India’s strength and spirit while aiming to apply pressure and fight for every ball.
