Ex-Italy International Pamela Conti Appointed Head Coach Of India Women’s U-17 Team For AFC Asian Cup

Former Italy international Pamela Conti has been appointed head coach of the Indian women’s U-17 team, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Sunday. The 43-year-old will lead the Young Tigresses at the AFC Women’s U-17 Asian Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in China from April 30 to May 17.

Conti has already joined the India U-17 women’s training camp in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, where preparations for the continental tournament are underway. Her first assignment will be the SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship 2026, to be held in Pokhara, Nepal, from January 31 to February 7.

Earlier, Costa Rica’s Amelia Valverde, who coached her country at the 2015 and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cups, was named head coach of the senior women’s team for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia (March 1-12).

Vincenzo Conti Joins As Support Staff

As part of Pamela’s support staff, Vincenzo Conti, her brother, has been appointed assistant coach, the AIFF said in a release.

Vincenzo, a former player, has also served as head coach of Venezuela’s U-17 women’s team at the South American U-17 Women’s Championship 2024, alongside assisting the senior and U-20 teams.

Nivetha Ramadoss will continue in her role as assistant coach of the Young Tigresses.

Pamela Conti’s Playing Career

A former Italy international midfielder, Conti earned 90 caps and scored 30 goals for the Italian women’s national team and represented her country at the 2005 and 2009 UEFA European Women’s Championships.

At club level, she played for Sassari Torres (Italy), Levante and Espanyol (Spain), Eskilstuna United (Sweden), Energy Voronezh and Zorky Krasnogorsk (Russia), and Buffalo Flash (United States). She won multiple league titles and domestic cups.

Pamela Conti’s Coaching Career

Conti began her coaching career in 2018 with Atletico de Madrid Femenino’s U-16 team. In 2019, she was appointed head coach of the Venezuela senior and U-20 women’s teams, a role she held for five years.

She guided Venezuela to their second-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualification in 2024. Under her stewardship, Venezuela also narrowly missed qualification for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup, losing a play-off berth on penalties in 2022.

During the 2021 Torneio Internacional de Manaus in Brazil, India faced Venezuela, but Conti missed the match due to a positive COVID-19 test. Vincenzo Conti stood in and oversaw Venezuela’s 2-1 win over India.

AIFF Coaching Reshuffle

India’s U-17 side was previously coached by Joakim Alexandersson during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The Swede also handled the U-20 women’s team in their qualification campaign.

With the U-17s now under Conti, Alexandersson will take charge of the U-20 team at the AFC Women’s U-20 Asian Cup in Thailand from April 1 to 18.

India’s senior, U-20, and U-17 women’s teams will all compete in continental championships this year.

(With PTI Inputs)