India's Historic U-20 Asian Cup Qualification: Coach Alexandersson Joakim Hails Young Tigresses' Grit

The India U-20 Women's team have secured qualification for the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Thailand 2026. This significant achievement marks a remarkable moment for Indian women's football.

Head coach Joakim Alexandersson lauded the Young Tigresses' intense effort towards their Asian Cup qualification, noting their strong defensive resolve throughout the qualifiers. This success builds upon recent winning streaks for the Indian national women's teams.

In a historic qualification campaign, the India U-20 Women's team topped Group D with seven points, thanks to a goalless draw against Indonesia, a commanding 7-0 victory against Turkmenistan, and a narrow 1-0 win over hosts Myanmar. All group matches took place at Yangon’s Thuwunna Stadium.

Eight group winners and three best runners-up progress to the finals, scheduled for April 2026. Pooja scored the decisive goal against Myanmar, finding the net in the 27th minute to clinch the group victory.

India dominated the first half, though Myanmar controlled the second half, applying late pressure. Myanmarese shots hit the woodwork, but India held firm to maintain their lead.

Coach Alexandersson Praises Team's Tenacity

Alexandersson, who has trained this squad since his appointment in December of the previous year, shared his feelings after qualification. "This is a very emotional moment for me because I saw how hard you were worked out there."

The India U-20 Women's team displayed exceptional defensive resilience, recording three clean sheets in three matches. Goalkeeper Monalisha Devi Moirangthem made crucial saves, ensuring India conceded no goals throughout the group stage.

"But despite the challenges, the effort you put into the game was immense. We fought so hard, defending with every part of our bodies. We truly showed that we deserve to be in this Asian Cup, and that is exactly why we are here," the Swedish coach added.

Alexandersson mentioned the senior women’s team’s recent Asian Cup qualification, which served as an added motivation. Qualifying for the Asian Cup remained the sole objective in Myanmar, and the team successfully achieved this aim.

A 'Historic Double' For Indian Football

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a reward of USD 25,000, approximately INR 22 lakh, for the U-20 Women’s team. The AIFF framed this result as the outcome of multi-year planning and development conducted 'without shortcuts', pointing to structured preparation at the grassroots level.

The U-20 qualification came just 36 days after the senior India women’s national team qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. That achievement ended a 23-year absence from continental finals for the senior side.

Also, the U-20 team's return marks their first qualification in two decades; India last participated in this junior tournament in the 2006 edition, which was contested at the U-19 level.

This represents a 'historic double' for Indian women's football, with both senior and U-20 teams qualifying within five weeks. This synchronicity shows strong momentum across age groups.

Thailand will host the U-20 finals in April 2026, with 11 spots filled from the 32 qualifying teams via eight group winners and three best runners-up. Hosts Thailand qualified automatically.

India Vs Myanmar: Key Moments In the Decisive Qualifying Match

The decisive match against Myanmar unfolded with a clear sequence. Pooja initiated a counter-attack from the right flank, delivering a cross into the box. The ball traversed to the opposite side, where Neha recovered it and looped it back into the area before India forced it over the line in the 27th minute.

Later in the game, Myanmar struck the woodwork twice, including around the 90th minute. Goalkeeper Monalisa, on a three-match clean-sheet run, made several key saves to preserve India’s narrow 1-0 lead and helped the team win.

This encapsulated India’s playing style in Yangon: utilising fast-wing transitions and late-phase low-block defending.