India's Young Tigresses Set for AFC U17 Women's Showdown

The draw for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers has placed the India U17 women's team in Group G alongside Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The selection occurred at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last Thursday. Competitions will take place from October 13 to 17, 2025, in a centralised league format.

India opens their tournament against the Kyrgyz Republic on October 13, followed by a clash with Uzbekistan on October 17, both in Bishkek, as confirmed by an AIFF media release. The top team from each group will secure a spot in the Asian Cup finals, joining automatically qualified squads DPR Korea, Japan, South Korea, and China.

With 27 teams competing across eight groups, India aims to make history for the first time since 2005 by qualifying for the continental stage through this route. As per the rankings, India was seeded in Pot 1 during the draw. The Asian Cup finals will run from April 30 to May 17, 2026, with the top four teams advancing to the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026.

(With inputs from agencies.)