Indian U20 women’s team look to sharpen attacking edge ahead of Turkmenistan clash

YANGON(Myanmar): After a goalless draw with Indonesia on Wednesday, the Indian U20 women’s team will look for their first win in the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Thailand 2026 Qualifiers Group D when they take on Turkmenistan on Friday, at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, according to the AIFF website.

“To be honest, we were not happy with the result. It’s disappointing not to get three points from the game. We had more ball possession, and I felt we dominated from start to finish,” said India captain Shubhangi Singh as quoted from AIFF.

Head coach Joakim Alexandersson expressed that he and the girls were left “hugely disappointed” with the slow start to the campaign, in which their aim is to qualify for the Asian Cup after a gap of 20 years.

“We didn’t perform well. The overall quality was lacking in everything we tried to do. We attempted to improve in the second half, but it just wasn’t our day. On the ball, we were too slow, moving side to side without enough purpose, and that created problems,” said the Swede.

Despite India not making the perfect start, their fate remains in their hands. Two wins in the next two matches against Turkmenistan and Myanmar will guarantee top spot and qualification for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup.

“This is far from over, of course. We know that six points will do the job for us. We know what we need to do better tomorrow (Friday) and against Myanmar. Creating more open-play chances will be crucial. We will try to be more effective with the possession we get and convert our chances,” said 19-year-old Shubhangi.

Alexandersson also affirmed his side’s commitment to go all out for six points in the remaining matches and book their ticket to next year’s tournament in Thailand.

“I’m looking forward to the next two games. We definitely need a better performance. I want to see more quality from our attacking players, especially, in how they receive the ball. We need sharper execution in the final third to create and convert chances,” Alexandersson said.

“We have one point at the moment. We need six (points) from the next two, so now we simply have to go for two victories. Against Myanmar as well, we have to go fully offensive, press high, try to win the ball in advanced areas, and force mistakes we can capitalise on,” he added.

Myanmar defeated Turkmenistan 6-1 in their opening game, also on Wednesday. The Central Asians surprisingly took an early lead, but the hosts recovered quickly, racing to a 4-1 lead by half-time and adding two more in the second half.

“When I saw Turkmenistan’s first game against Myanmar, I felt it might be quite similar to the game we had against Indonesia. So we need to find solutions against teams that sit deep, and that’s something we’ll focus on,” Alexandersson analysed, while also expressing confidence in the Young Tigresses’ ability to bounce back with a win on Friday.

“The first game didn’t reflect the level I know this team is capable of. But I’m sure we’ll bounce back with a better performance against Turkmenistan and carry that momentum into the last game,” the coach said. (ANI)