Amelia Valverde eyes glory with India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup

In the summer of 1990, William Valverde was fascinated when he saw a fluffy pink dress in the window of a boutique in San Ramón, Costa Rica. He imagined his daughter wearing it and looking like a doll, and he smiled.

Within hours he rushed home and took her there. But the toddler left the store wearing a white shirt, blue shorts and a barrage of questions about football.

It was the year Costa Rica played women’s football at international level for the first time – a moment that shaped her youth and decades later saw her take the country to two FIFA Women’s World Cups.

Amelia Valverde – that toddler – is now the newly appointed coach of the Indian women’s football team and wants to help inspire a new chapter for the Blue Tigresses.

“I’ve had four sessions with the girls. What I’ve seen – first in the videos of the last few matches in FIFA windows last year, and now in person – is that they are a very brave and talented team,” says Amelia. Sports stars.

Amelia, a UEFA Pro License holder, was later this year appointed India’s coach for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, for which the Blue Tigresses qualified on merit for the first time.

Invading a man’s world

“Brave” is a word Amelia returns to often – a trait ingrained in her family’s matriarchy. Her grandmother, Trina Araya, worked in humanitarian aid during Costa Rica’s civil war, and her mother was a judge.

«Women all over the world are trying to open doors for other women. My mother was a judge, maybe 40 years ago, when such a path barely existed (for women), and she had to fight a lot of people to get in the game,» Amelia explains.

«If you ask the players, they will say something similar. It doesn’t matter where they come from.»

Amelia’s entry into football also began among men, with her being the only woman to play on school teams, until one day one of her physical education teachers led her to a women’s team, and off she went, never to look back on another career path.

“When I told my parents, they told me that I could go if I had good grades. So I went to university, studied physical education and played for Flores, a first division team (now the women’s team of Club Sport Herediano). It means flower in English,” says Amelia.

However, a sudden departure from the team by the then coach caused disarray in the team. «He told us he would be back in three weeks after the holidays. But he never came. So someone from the organization asked me if I could become a coach. I was in my early 20s, but I decided to retire (from my playing career) and take up the challenge,» she says.

This is where Amelia really blossomed as a coach.

READ | India beat Swiss side FC Schlieren in a behind-closed-doors friendly ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup

“I set my conditions: we were friends, but when a decision is made, we all live and die with it,” she had previously reflected. In both seasons of her coaching, the team remained in the top division.

In new robes from Las Ticas

Amelia’s exploits led to a call from the Costa Rica women’s national team, also known as Las Ticas.

«The head coach of the national team in Costa Rica called me and said, ‘Amelia, I need a physical trainer or fitness coach. Can you help me? I just went. And here I am talking to you fifteen years later,» Amelia smiles.

Amelia initially worked with the under-20 women’s team as the side finished third in the U-20 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and qualified for the U-20 FIFA World Cup. Within four years, she climbed the pyramid to become coach of the senior women’s team.

“I need to give something back to football because a lot of women in the world are trying to open doors, not just in football or sports, but in many areas where we want to be heard, listened to and seen,” says Amelia, who draws inspiration from legendary women’s coaches like Pia Sundhage and Emma Hayes.

Under her leadership, Costa Rica ushered in its golden generation between 2011 and 2023 – a generation that won consecutive gold medals at the Central American Games, silver at the Central American and Caribbean Games, bronze at the Pan American Games, and then qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time, in 2015.

Youngsters like Gloriana Villalobos and Sheika Scott rose through age group teams to the national team, while Daniela Cruz and Rocky Rodriguez reached their peak as Costa Rica qualified for another World Cup in 2023.

“Players like Sheika came from very remote areas in Costa Rica; she had to travel about six hours to get to the national team (camp), so we tried to help her adapt to a lot of things,” says Amelia.

«India is a much bigger country (with players from far away areas). So we have to try to understand every player here and make sure everyone can improve.»

Pura Vida for blue tigresses

Amelia’s mantra for success ‘Pura Vida’ has a touch of joga bonito, but in Costa Rica it is also an expression of joy in everything one does.

«Pura Vida means everything in Costa Rica. That’s what we identified with. If I had to relate it to the girls, I could say that they will always give everything for the country and fight until the end,» she says.

It is this spirit that she has brought to CF Monterrey Femenil in Mexico, her previous assignment before her job in India, where she piloted the women’s premier league title, the Apertura, in 2024.

And she wants to follow a similar path in her new assignment, the Indian national team.

India will play a draw with powerhouses Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei in the Asian Cup. The top two from the group are guaranteed a knockout spot, while the third also has a chance to make it into one of the top two third teams.

But most importantly, the best six of the twelve teams at the Asian Cup will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

«We are going to give everything for the tournament. The girls have a huge ambition to write history and that makes their training almost perfect. They want to do things very well,» Amelia explains.

The Indian players, who train in Türkiye, usually wake up around 4am to start training between 5am and 7am, then take a break and train again.

“It’s about 10 degrees and despite the rain that falls every day, the girls have a great attitude and everyone is focused. They are a hard-working group, the motivation is very high and we have to make the right decisions to do our best,” says Amelia.

The Asian Cup Challenge

As coach of Costa Rica, Amelia has previously faced four Asian opponents: Japan, South Korea, China and the Philippines, losing only once to Japan.

“Japan is like clockwork: very disciplined. They do everything in a calculated way and always want to move forward. South Korea is really technical. China clearly has an advantage with their physicality,” Amelia explains.

«In our group we have different types of opponents. Japan is the favorite, regardless of the tournament. Vietnam and Chinese Taipei are in a development phase, but they have both been to a World Cup. Physically they are different. Taipei and Vietnam are well organized, while Taipei is very fast.»

Regardless of the opponents, Amelia’s biggest opponent could be time: India starts its Asian Cup campaign in five weeks, with the first match against Vietnam on March 4.

«There are two sides to it: on the one hand, there is a lot of time because there are five weeks. Almost every national team has five to eight weeks (to prepare for international tournaments),» says Amelia. «But on the other hand, we only have five weeks left. So we have to try to make the girls strong enough for the challenge ahead.»

But Amelia isn’t so fixated on the outcomes. “It’s not just about the results, it’s about what they stand for and the message they give to the girls and women of India,” says Amelia.

«In Costa Rica we don’t have an army. We are one of the few countries in the world that don’t have an army. So we try to fight in other ways, and I think India can do that too – with talent, intention and hope.»

Published on January 27, 2026