India U17 women's team take on Uzbekistan in crucial AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup Qualifier

India U17 women’s team eye a spot in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup.

India look to secure qualification into the group stages of the 2026 U17 Women’s Asian Cup as they face off against Uzbekistan in their final qualification match on Friday (17 October 2025).

The Young Tigresses need to avoid a defeat to pave their way into the tournament, but will face a fierce fight against an unpredictable Uzbekistan side that is determined to secure late qualification into the U17 Women’s Asian Cup.

The Stakes

India U17

Joachim Aexandersson’s India U17 Women’s football team have taken some major forward strides in establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Asia. They had a solid start to their U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, picking up a clinical win over Kyrgyzstan after a stunning late winner.

That basically puts them at an advantage heading into their second (and final) match, as they now just need to avoid a loss.

However, knowing Alexandersson’s mentality, he will urge his players to be focused and be expressive with nonstop attacking football in order for the players to enjoy themselves.

A win over Uzbekistan will be a stylish way for the Young Tigresses to make it to the U17 Women’s Asian Cup and help them prove their quality at this stage, but a shocking loss could create the ultimate heartbreak after all the hard work.

Uzbekistan U17

Uzbekistan have missed out on qualification for their last two AFC Women’s U17 Asian Cup editions, which is why they’re particularly determined to avoid that dismay this time around.

However, after suffering a loss to Kyrgyzstan in the first match, they now have A LOT to do to be able to fnish on top of their group. To do so, they will basically have to clinch a major win by scoring many goals to go over their opponents and finish on top of the group.

Ilxam Xanjariyev will be urging his players to pick themselves up and produce a more prolific performance against India.

He’ll need them to be defensively strong to withstand the pressure, but also clinical on the transitions to get a win. A major win can help Uzbekistan prove the sheer quality of their women’s teams, but a draw or defeat would be a setback to the development of their Women’s Football scene.

Team News

Joachim Alexandersson should have the same squad that played against Krygyz Republic. Uzbekistan should have a fully fit squad available for this game too.

Head-to-Head Record

This will mark the first time that the India U17 and Uzbekistan U17 women’s team face each other in an international competition.

Predicted Lineup

India (4-2-3-1):

Munni (GK), Elizabed Lakra, Divyani Linda, Ritu Badaik, Abhista Basnett, Bonifilia Shullai, Julan Nongmaithem, Pearl Fernandes, Anushka Kumari, Pritika Barman, Nira Longjam

Players to Watch

Julan Nongmaithem (India)

Julan Nongmaithem is leading the front with an iron fist for the India U17 Women’s team in the qualifiers, thriving under the responsibilities on her shoulders.

The 14-year-old midfielder played a pivotal role in helping get the win over Kyrgyz Republic, as he provided a lovely assist to set up Pearl Fernandes’ goal before scoring a brilliant winner in the final stages of the game.

Julan is blessed with admirable quality, as she’s able to move forward with the ball, dribble past players and also produce line-breaking passes with ease.

She’ll need to be at her decisive best against Uzbekistan to cause major trouble for their defenders and inspire her teammates. Nongmaithem needs to be clinical with her finishing and final product to uplift India and inspire them to the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualification.

Shakhzoda Alikhnova (Uzbekistan)

Shakhzoda Alikhnova was one of the better players for Uzbekistan in their loss to Kyrgyz Republic in the first qualifier. She looked sharp with her work in the opposition half, troubling their defenders with her impressive movement and also scoring a brilliant goal.

Alikhnova will now need to amp up the quality and decisiveness of her performance levels even more to make herself a real thorn to be dealt with for the Indian defenders.

She will need to be smart with her link-up play and off the ball movement to get into the empty spaces. Moreover, the Uzbekistan star will need to be clinical in finishing off moves prolifically to help them get a big win.

Did you know?

• The last time India played at the U17 Women’s Asian Cup was in 2005!
• Uzbekistan have never gone past the group stages of a U17 Women’s Asian Cup edition.
• India U17 Women’s team has won six of their seven matches in 2025.

Telecast Details

The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup clash between India and Uzbekistan will happen on Friday, 17 October 2025 at the Dode Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek.

The match will kick off at 6:30 PM IST. It will be streamed live on Kyrgyz Sport TV’s YouTube channel.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.