India U17 Women's Team Set for AFC Qualifiers in 2026

Group E Draw for AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers

The Indian U17 women's football team has been placed in Group E alongside Malaysia, Syria, and Iraq for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. This draw took place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 16. After making history with their first knockout stage appearance in the last edition, the Young Tigresses are determined to qualify for consecutive AFC U17 Women's Asian Cups for the first time.

Malaysia will serve as the host for Group E, with matches scheduled from October 5 to 11, 2026. India's campaign will kick off against Iraq, followed by a match against Syria, and concluding with a game against the hosts, Malaysia.

Path to the Finals

The group winners will secure a spot in the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027, set to take place in Suzhou from March 31 to April 17, 2027. For the draw, 30 teams were categorized into four pots, including a special pot for hosts, based on a points system reflecting their performance in the last three tournaments. India was placed in Pot 1, with the final draw resulting in eight groups—six containing four teams and two with three.

The qualifiers will follow a single round-robin format from October 5 to 11, 2026. The eight group winners will advance to the finals, which will be hosted in China for the second consecutive year. They will join the top four teams from the 2026 campaign that have already qualified: defending champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR. Notably, the semi-finalists of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 will earn a place in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2027.

AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers Draw Results

India's Match Schedule

Matchday Schedule:

• Matchday 1: India vs Iraq


• Matchday 2: Syria vs India


• Matchday 3: India vs Malaysia

Hosts: Malaysia

Dates: October 5-11, 2026.