What happened the last time India participated in AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup?

India returns to the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup after 2 decades

India are all to set to feature in the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 which will be held in China between 1–17 May 2026. India are in Group B alongside Australia, Japan and Lebanon who are surely going to be a tough competition for the Indian team.

India secured the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup spot after defeating Uzbekistan 2-1 in their last match of the qualifiers, at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, in Bishkek, on Friday, October 17, 2025.

This is the first time India have qualified for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian cup through qualification, previously they featured once in the competition, but it was earlier known as the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in the year 2005. It was held from 16 to 27 April 2005 in Namhae, South Korea.

As Pamela Conti and the team gets ready for the Asian challenge, let us take a look at what happened last time when India participated in this tournament.

How did India perform the last time?

The last time India featured in AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup (Previously known as U-16) was back in 2005 in South Korea, where a total of 11 teams participated in that tournament directly. India were placed in group A alongside Thailand, South Korea (hosts) and Indonesia.

India finished third in the group stage and could not get through to the next round, but it was a great experience for the young girls who would later take Indian Women’s football ahead in the coming years. Let us look at what happened in the group A and also how India performed in each game.

Thailand vs India (16 April 2005, Namhae Sports Park, Namhae)

The first match for the Indian team was against Thailand who eventually went on to qualify further in the tournament and also finished third. The match took place on 16th April 2005 at the Namhae Sports Park and was a full package of entertainment for football fans.

The match ultimately went in Thailand’s favour, but it turned out to be a thrilling, high-scoring contest with 10 goals in total, six for Thailand and four for India.

India showed remarkable fighting spirit, coming back from an early three-goal trail to take a 4-3 lead till the 65th minute. Bala Devi, who later went on to become a prominent figure in Indian football was the standout performer, netting a brilliant hat-trick and leading the charge during India’s comeback.

However, despite their efforts, India couldn’t hold on and Thailand mounted a strong response in the second half, turning the game around to seal a dramatic victory.

India vs South Korea (18 April 2005, Namhae Sports Park, Namhae)

After a loss but a strong performance against Thailand, India faced South Korea, the toughest opponent of the group in the second group stage match on 18th April 2005.

It turned out to be a difficult night for the young Indian side, as hosts South Korea put in a dominant display and secured a comprehensive 7–0 victory. While the result was a tough one to take, it served as a valuable learning experience for the team.

The lessons from that heavy defeat proved important, as India regrouped and responded positively in their final group stage match which we are going to talk about next, showing resilience and growth when it mattered most.

India vs Indonesia (20 April 2005, Namhae Sports Park, Namhae)

Now after a disappointing loss against South Korea, the Indian team regrouped positively against Indonesia. They faced Indonesia on 20th April 2005 in their last group stage game of this tournament and even though it was not enough for India to get them over the line, it was certainly a showcase of what Indian team can do on their good day.

India signed off their group stage campaign in style, securing all three points with a commanding 6–0 win over Indonesia. It was a dominant and spirited performance, with the team controlling every aspect of the game from start to finish.

Bala Devi once again led the charge, scoring a brace and continuing her impressive form. She finished the tournament with a total of five goals, underlining her impact. Despite the strong finish, India concluded their campaign in third place in Group A.

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