India U17 Women to Face Uzbekistan Twice in Tashkent Ahead of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
India's U17 women's football team will take another important step in its preparations for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers when the Young Tigresses face Uzbekistan in two friendly matches in Tashkent on August 27 and 30.
Both matches will be played behind closed doors at the UFA National Football Centre, giving head coach Joakim Alexandersson an opportunity to assess his squad against quality international opposition before the competitive phase of the qualification campaign begins in October.
The two fixtures come at an important stage of India's preparations as the team attempts to build on a historic performance at the previous AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup.
India will play Uzbekistan on August 27 before meeting the same opponents again on August 30. The matches will allow Alexandersson to assess the players in a competitive international environment while also giving the coaching staff additional information ahead of the final squad selection. The fixtures are particularly important because India's qualification campaign will begin less than two months later.
The AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers will be held in Malaysia from October 5 to 11, with India drawn in Group E alongside hosts Malaysia, Syria and Iraq. India's objective will be to finish the qualifying campaign strongly enough to secure another appearance at the continental championship.
Building on a historic Asian Cup campaign
The upcoming qualification cycle comes after a landmark achievement for Indian women's youth football. The previous U17 team qualified for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup on merit for the first time and subsequently reached the quarter-finals, creating history in the process. AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan stressed the importance of using international friendlies to build on that momentum.
“Last year, our U17 Women’s team qualified for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup on merit for the first time and created history by reaching the quarter-finals,” he said. The AIFF official added that the priority is to continue exposing the players to quality opposition so they can develop, gain international experience and enter the qualifiers better prepared.
The larger objective is clear: qualify for the Asian Cup again and potentially go a step further at the tournament.
The current team is entering a new phase under Joakim Alexandersson, who has taken charge of the U17 women's side for the new qualification cycle. Alexandersson is already familiar with the Indian youth setup. He guided the previous batch to qualification for the 2026 tournament and also coached the U20 women's team at the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2026.
His appointment means the transition into the new age group is being handled with continuity, while the coaching staff also looks to identify a new generation of players capable of competing at the Asian level. The current camp began on July 16 at The Sports School in Bengaluru, with an initial group of 24 players reporting for camp-cum-trials.
However, the selection process remains open. Additional players are expected to join following further scouting and assessments across the country.
Alexandersson has already been involved in identifying players beyond the initial group. Earlier this month, he attended the Khelo India Performance Assessment Camp in New Delhi, where he assessed a number of young players. He also visited the FIFA-AIFF Telangana Talent Academy in Hyderabad as part of the wider player-identification process.
The scouting programme is expected to continue through the inaugural AIFF U17 Women's Youth League 2026-27.
The league provides another important platform for the coaching staff to assess young players in competitive conditions. Alexandersson is expected to travel to the competition later this month to monitor performances and identify potential additions to the national team setup. Further evaluations will take place before India's preliminary squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers is finalised.
India's qualification group features Malaysia, Syria and Iraq, giving the Young Tigresses three different challenges. Malaysia will have the advantage of playing on home soil, while Syria and Iraq will provide additional tests of India's ability to compete against teams from different footballing environments.
The qualifiers will take place from October 5 to 11, meaning every match could prove important in determining India's route to the Asian Cup.
For India, the objective is not simply to participate again. The previous campaign demonstrated that the country can compete successfully at the continental level, and the next generation will now be expected to carry that progress forward.
The two Uzbekistan friendlies are therefore more than preparation matches. They are an opportunity for Alexandersson to assess tactical combinations, evaluate players under international pressure and determine which members of the extended squad are best equipped for the qualifiers.
The Young Tigresses have already begun the process in Bengaluru. The next phase comes in Tashkent.
August 27: Uzbekistan vs India
August 30: Uzbekistan vs India
With the Asian Cup qualifiers approaching, India's U17 women's team has entered a crucial period of preparation.
The target is straightforward: qualify for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027, build on the historic quarter-final run from the previous edition and establish a new generation of Young Tigresses capable of taking Indian women's football another step forward.
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