Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic), April 27 (IANS) The India U-17 women’s team is set to take on Myanmar at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on Friday in a match that will decide which team will enter Round 2 of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Placed in Group F of the Round 1 Qualifiers, the Young Tigresses have won their first match against hosts Kyrgyz Republic 1-0, as have Myanmar in their first match.
India head coach Priya PV said, “Myanmar are a good side, and like us, they have beaten the Kyrgyz Republic in their first game. They have some very skilled players in their team and it will be a challenge for us all.
“But we will give it our best to win the match and make it to the second round of the qualifiers,” she said.
As things stand, the winner of the match between India and Myanmar will decide who will make it to the second round of the AFC U-17 Women’s Olympic Qualifiers. Since both teams have a goal difference of +1, the qualification will be decided by a penalty shootout if the match ends in a draw.
The India U-17s have been on a progression path over the last three months, as they had set camp, first in Chennai, and then in Indore. After an unsuccessful SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship the Young Tigresses began the Asian qualification campaign with a victory against the Kyrgyz Republic, one that has instilled a lot of confidence in the team, the AIFF informed in a report on Thursday.
“It was a tough game against the hosts. Their players were physically stronger than us, but our girls played really well,” said Priya. “It is a process of developing them to perform at the international level, and we are starting to see the results now.
“We created a lot of chances, which was really good to see, but we need to also work on our finishing. But I’m happy with the win, as it gave the girls a lot of confidence,” she said.
–IANS
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