India vs Chinese Taipei: Three player battles to watch out for in AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 clash

India eyes a strong victory by two-goal margin against Chinese Taipei to secure the quarter-final spot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup

The Indian women’s football team face a formidable test in their final group game of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, when they face off against the Chinese Taipei women’s football team. The Blue Tigresses firmly have their backs on the wall, having suffered two cruel defeats in their group so far and being in desperate need of a victory.

Indeed, India will have to defeat the Chinese Taipei side by a two-goal margin and hope that Japan can defeat Vietnam in the other game for them to have a chance of making it into the knockout stages. That means Amelia Valverde’s women will need to play at a very high level and be at their prolific best to be able to end their losing streak and get a much-needed victory.

The India vs Chinese Taipei clash should be an intense encounter, where both sets of players look to give their all to get a positive result for their side. However, the match is likely to be decided by some interesting player battles on the pitch, which will decide which team comes out on top. With both sides having quality players in key positions of the pitch, the individuals who come out on top in these battles might make the difference in deciding the final result. Here, we look at the three key battles to watch for in the India vs Chinese Taipei clash in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

3. Su Yu-hsuan vs Sweety Devi

Even though the Chinese Taipei women’s team are likely to prioritise defence over attack in the India clash, they will look to seal an important win with clever transitions. They are likely to look to hurt the Blue Tigresses with fast-paced counter-attacks and surge into an important lead as soon as possible in the game. The Chinese Taipei women’s forward Su Yu-hsuan might play a prolific role in ensuring that. The 25-year-old forward scored the winner in their recent victory over Vietnam, and she is definitely flying high in terms of momentum levels.

Yu-hsuan will look to get into the empty areas in the final third and finish off chances with grace, and the Indian backline has to work smartly to stop that from happening. Sweety Devi might’ve been embarrassed in the loss to Japan recently, but she remains one of the most proactive defenders in the India squad. Sweety will need to be proactive in marking Yu-hsuan and cleverly track her movement to neutralise her threat, and also use her reactive nature to make crucial challenges to neutralise the Chinese Taipei forward’s threat and gain an advantage for her side in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

2. Pyari Xaxa vs Sin-Yun Su

With India needing to score goals in their upcoming clash against Chinese Taipei, they’ll also need their forward players to be at their clinical best in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. That means Pyari Xaxa, who has been reasonably underwhelming with her performances in the competition so far, will need to improve her accuracy in the final third. The 28-year-old is known to be a clinical goal-scorer, but she needs to be way more precise with her finishing and also get to the end of chances better by reading her teammates’ movement and execution.

However, Pyari will also come up in a challenging test against Chinese Taipei centre-back Sin-Yun Su, who has been really sturdy with her performances in the competition so far. Sin-yun was particularly impressive in the last game against Vietnam, holding together a solid defensive shape to frustrate her opponents. She will aim to do something similar against India, and will need to be at her proactive best to frustrate Xaxa and not allow her any empty space in the final third.

1. Manisha Kalyan vs Chi-Lan Chang

Even though Manisha Kalyan has underperformed in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup so far, failing to get a single goal contribution in two matches, she remains one of the most dangerous players for the Indian women’s team. Kalyan just needs one solid performance to get all her confidence back, and she will look to ensure that happens in the upcoming game against Chinese Taipei. Manisha just needs to be sharper with her movement down the wide areas and a bit more decisive when she’s able to get into the danger zones.

Of course, the Indian winger will not have it easy as she comes up against Chinese Taipei full-back Chi-Lan Chang. The 29-year-old Chinese Taipei defender has been compelling with her performances so far in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, showing to have the quality to keep up with tricky wingers and make clutch challenges to dispossess them. That is why Kalyan has to be unpredictable with her work in the final third and be especially accurate with her shooting or final passes to inspire India to a commanding win.

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