Is India Ready to Kick Off Their SAFF U17 Women's Championship Journey in Bhutan?

Thimpu, Aug 19 (NationPress) The Indian U17 women's squad is all set to commence their SAFF U17 Women's Championship 2025 journey with a match against Nepal on Wednesday, August 20, at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.

A new tournament format will see four teams - Bangladesh and Bhutan being the other two - competing in a double round-robin league, meaning each team will face off in a total of six matches. The team that secures the top position after the final matchday on August 31 will be crowned the champions.

India’s head coach, Joakim Alexandersson, who recently led the U20 team to Asian Cup qualification just nine days prior, isn’t concerned about the quick turnaround and is excited to lead the U17 squad in Bhutan.

“It’s no problem for me at all because I enjoy coaching. Of course, after the last game in Myanmar, there were many emotions, but we had the trip back, I took a day off, and we began again with this group. So it’s fine,” said the Swede.

The U17 team began their training in Bengaluru in January. Out of the 23 players in the SAFF squad, 13 were part of the Indian Arrows Women Juniors team that performed commendably in the Indian Women’s League 2, finishing as runners-up in May and earning promotion to the top tier. Among these players, 14 have prior international experience at the SAFF U16 Championship 2024, where India finished as runners-up against Bangladesh on penalties.

“The IWL 2 contributed significantly because they already understand how I want to press, defend, build up, and attack. That knowledge simplifies things here,” remarked Alexandersson, who also coached the Arrows side.

The Young Tigresses trained under assistant coach Nivetha Ramadoss during Alexandersson's time with the U20s. Nivetha, who was also the assistant during the U16 SAFF last year, has spent considerable time with this group.

“The coaching staff remained in constant communication while I was away with the U20s. Nivetha knows these girls very well. She has followed similar drills to those I introduced upon my arrival in India, ensuring a smooth adaptation. We played numerous practice matches against local clubs and boys' teams as well,” said Alexandersson, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is to qualify for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup in October, and this tournament serves as excellent preparation for the qualifiers.

“This tournament offers the girls invaluable game time, which is crucial. It’s a great opportunity to experiment with different line-ups and assess how they perform in their respective positions, given that we have six matches here. The games, travel, and experience of staying together as a team will all contribute to the players’ growth both on and off the pitch.

“Certainly, it’s both a challenge and an opportunity. We brought 23 very talented players here, and I want to see them all in play. We will rotate throughout the six matches, which will serve as a good test for the team,” said Alexandersson.

Captain Julan Nongmaithem, one of the youngest in the squad at just 14 years old, is eager to make her international debut.

“We are confident. We have been training in Bengaluru since January. The atmosphere is very positive, and we believe we can emerge as champions. We are prepared to give our 100 percent,” said the Manipuri.

India and Bangladesh have both claimed the title of this SAFF tournament twice, which has been held for U15, U16, and U17 players. Interestingly, India won the title in both 2018 and 2019 when the tournament was hosted by Bhutan, defeating Bangladesh in the finals on both occasions.

“From what I know, Bangladesh will present a significant challenge, Nepal is also strong, while Bhutan may have faced more struggles. However, we will put up a good fight. We respect all our opponents. My focus is on ensuring we play the type of football we have been practicing,” concluded Alexandersson.