India in AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifications: Blue Tigresses hope to continue to win in shape against Timor Leste

After a record-breaking victory in the campaign opener, the Indian senior ladies team will try to continue the winning momentum in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifications when it takes on Sunday Timor Leste in the 700th anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium.

The five team B B is currently led by Iraq, who is four points after a 5-2 victory over Mongolia and a 0-0 draw with Timor Leste. India, which defeated Mongolia 13-0, and Thailand, who defeated Timor Leste 4-0, are each three points.

Although Timor Leste is in 158th place, 32 places under Mongolia, the Indian coach Crispin Chettri believed that the Southeast Asian side would be a stronger challenge. After viewing all the teams in action after the first two competition days, there is now a much clearer assessment of all remaining three opponents.

«Timor Leste is a better organized team than Mongolia, and I feel that they are also more defensively organized than Iraq. They would rather go for counterattacks. They also don’t mind keeping the ball. So in patches they are good. But because Thailand completely dominated the game, we can fully dominate the game, but they didn’t have much in their team.»

Chettri and his coaching staff were present on Thursday when Timor Leste limited the 46th ranking Thailand to four goals.

India, arranged 70, has never been confronted with Timor Leste before.

Various by the Indonesian Emral bin Bustamam, Timor Leste has been more active in international football compared to Mongolia. It finished fourth in the AFF Women’s Cup 2024, where it went against Laos and Singapore.

It played in four editions of the Asean Women’s Championship and the 2-1 victory over Singapore in 2019 will remain the only official victory in its history. The 0-0 draw with Iraq on Monday was the very first point in an AFC competition.