Kolkata, May 1: From today, the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup kicked off with fixtures between Thailand vs Vietnam and China vs Myanmar in China. For the third consecutive year, China is hosting the tournament. The Young Tigresses will kick off their campaign tomorrow against Australia under the guidance of Pamela Conti. The 12 teams have been drawn into three groups, and the tournament will be concluded on 17th May.
In Group A, there are China PR, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. In Group B, there are India, Australia, Japan, and Lebanon. Group C consists of DPR Korea(North Korea), Korea Republic, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei.
In the Group B breakdown, India qualified for the tournament after 21 years. The last time they competed in it was in 2005. Under the guidance of Joakim Alexandersson, with determination and fighting spirit, they qualified for this campaign and are yet to win their maiden title.
On the other hand, Australia has participated several times but have never won the title. Lebanon qualified for the first time for the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup. However, the most dominant team, Japan, with four titles, is also in the group. Another dominant side, the defending champion DPR Korea(North Korea), who also have four titles, are placed in Group C.
Pamela Conti’s words show that the Indian team feels prepared and confident ahead of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup. She explained that the squad had already completed most of their hard training sessions in India and Russia, so the final days in Suzhou were mainly used to improve tactical understanding and make small adjustments before the tournament begins.
She also mentioned how the weather changed after their arrival in China. In the beginning, the team experienced cold conditions and heavy rain, but later the weather became sunny and pleasant. According to Conti, these conditions are much better for football and help the players feel more comfortable before the opening game.
Pamela Conti expressed confidence and excitement ahead of the tournament, the coach also spoke about the pride of representing India on such a big international stage and believes the team is fully prepared for the challenge ahead, “We’ve been working for a long time, for many months. But it’s always a great feeling to play in important international tournaments, especially representing a big, big country like India. So yes, we are ready for it” she said .
AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – Group Stage Fixtures:
May 1: Thailand vs Vietnam, China vs Myanmar
May 2: Japan vs Lebanon, South Korea vs Philippines, Australia vs India
May 4: Myanmar vs Thailand, Vietnam vs China
May 5: Chinese Taipei vs South Korea, Lebanon vs Australia, India vs Japan
May 7: China vs Thailand, Vietnam vs Myanmar
May 8: India vs Lebanon, Japan vs Australia, North Korea vs South Korea, Philippines vs Chinese Taipei
All matches will be played in the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre. All four semi-finalists will qualify for the U17 FIFA World Cup 2026 Morocco.
The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 will be streamed live on the AFC Asian Cup YouTube channel.
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