Top three players from India's AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 campaign

India ended their AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign without a point

India’s campaign in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 came to an end after their 3-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei in the final group stage fixture.

The road to Australia was never easy as the Blue Tigress went on to defeat Iraq, Timor Leste, Mongolia and hosts Thailand in their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

India was drawn in Group C alongside Asian stalwart Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei. India was heading for a 1-1 draw against Vietnam in the opening game, but a late goal from Vietnam in the dying minutes of the game saw India go down 2-1 to Vietnam.

The second game against Japan was a nightmare for the Indian team and in the final game, India were the better team for the majority of the duration but suffered a 3-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei in the final game.

Despite mathematically going through a disastrous campaign, there were too many positives and silver linings in the cloud.

In this article, we shall take a closer look at the top three performers for India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026

3. Sanfida Nongrum

Imagine you are a twenty-year-old girl from Meghalaya aspiring to play for your country. The stars aligned perfectly as Sanfida was brought in by Amelia Valverde at a time when India was trailing 1-0 against Vietnam.

Much to everyone’s surprise, young Sanfida goes on to score the first goal for India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign.

Sanfida made 2 appearances for India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and was the best young talent for India.

She captained Garhwal United FC to the IWL 2 Championship and helped them secure promotion to IWL. She has shown exemplary leadership skills from a young age and is one of the emerging stars of India

2. Panthoi Chanu

Apart from that Japan game, Panthoi Chanu was at her absolute best in the two games against Vietnam and Chinese Taipei. It is never easy to be a goalkeeper and face some of the best strikers in the continent, who regularly compete in top European leagues, but Panthoi showcased immense courage.

She was a towering figure between the sticks for India. She featured in all three games for India and even made a near penalty save against Chinese Taipei.

She plays for East Bengal FC in the Indian Women’s League, and her crucial saves kept India alive in the competition until Chinese Taipei scored the third goal.

1. Manisha Kalyan

Manisha has time and again proved why she is regarded as one of the best Indian players ever. The first Indian player to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Kalyan played every second for India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 and was phenomenal.

That direct free kick goal against Chinese Taipei was unarguably one of the best goals of the tournament.

After plying her trade with Apollon Limassol and PAOK, she joined Allianz Lima in 2026. Kalyan is just 24 and has already broken many records, and this is just the beginning for her.

Special mention – Soumya Guguloth, Shilky Devi and Rimpa Haldar

Young Shilky also had a good campaign. She made 2 appearances for India and had an excellent passing accuracy of over 80% against Chinese Taipei in the final and was a dominating force in the defense.

Soumya Guguloth came agonisingly close to scoring goals for India on several occasions. The East Bengal forward featured in all three games for India and had a decent campaign.

Rimpa made 2 appearances for India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and impressed a lot. She was brilliant in the midfield, and the 21-year-old has a long way to go.

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