Over three years since a COVID-19 outbreak cut short their campaign in the last edition, India will open their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign against Mongolia in their Group B fixture in Chiang Mai on Monday.

The continental competition next year will be staged in Australia in March 2026 and concurrently double up as the qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

India, 70th in the global rankings, will also encounter Timor Leste (158th) on 29 June, Iraq (173rd) on 2 July and hosts Thailand (46th) on 5 July, all of which will take place at the Chiang Mai Stadium. Only the group’s top team will qualify for the final tournament.

The Blue Tigresses have not participated in the Asian Cup since 2003. In 2022, the hosts’ campaign was ended after a COVID-19 outbreak led to the team’s withdrawal after their first game. The results were then invalidated.

Though India had success in the former Asian Women’s Championship, finishing as runners-up in 1980 and 1983 and third in 1981, they have not been on the podium for more than four decades.

In a pre-qualifier talk, head coach Crispin Chettri conceded that India have limited data about Mongolia, Timor Leste, and Iraq.

“They haven’t had many games recently. We do know something about Thailand — they had two games against Nepal under the last window, one of them was behind closed doors,” Chettri explained.

India staged a build-up to the qualifiers with two friendlies against Uzbekistan, which they lost 0-1 narrowly on 30 May and 3 June. Though the results were not favorable, Chettri considered the matches worthwhile preparation.

“I experimented with varied combinations in our friendlies. I tried out various mixes in midfield with Sangita Basfore, Karthika Angamuthu, Ratanbala Nongmaithem, Grace Dangmei and Anju Tamang,” he said.

The team has been practicing in Bengaluru since May and reached Chiang Mai a week before their first match to acclimatize.

“I think arriving early has helped us get used to the weather and adjust to the time difference. It’s more humid here than in Bengaluru. The facilities are excellent and we’ve had four training sessions, including a full intra-squad match,” the coach noted.

Chettri has picked a youthful squad with an average age of 23.6 years, blending emerging talent with experienced players. He highlighted the balance within the team.

“Having a good combination of youth and experience. We experimented with 18-year-old goalkeeper Monalisha Moirangthem against Uzbekistan. I am not hesitant to give opportunities to young players because that is how they learn,” he asserted.

“For every Malavika, there is a Grace Dangmei. For every Priyadharshini, there is an Anju Tamang. And for a Phanjoubam Nirmala Devi, there is a Ngangbam Sweety Devi.”

Chettri also stressed the effect of spending long periods together at camp.

“Remaining and working together for over 45 days has helped a lot in their chemistry. Now, they are thinking about tactical nuances and carrying out all on the field.”

India are looking to get off to a strong start against Mongolia and leave their 2022 disappointment well behind.