Three areas Indian senior women's team must improve ahead of Malawi clash in FIFA Women's Series 2026

India lost 2-0 against Kenya in in FIFA Women’s Series 2026 opening match.

The India women’s football team lost the first match of FIFA Women’s Series 2026 against Kenya with a scoreline of 2-0. India will now face Malawi in the third-place play-off on April 15 at 16:30 IST, while Kenya will meet Australia in the final at 20:00 IST.

Kenya dominated the contest, both physically and tactically, against the Blue Tigresses. The Harambee Starlets seized control from the outset, using the width of the pitch effectively and imposing themselves physically across the park.

India found it difficult to cope with the pace and intensity and failed to create clear attacking moves in the match.

Let us look at the areas which India must improve ahead of their third-place play-off match against Malawi.

Improve the midfield

Head coach Crispin Chettri and the entire Indian team will need to place greater emphasis on improving the midfield battle.

Against the African opposition, the physical difference was quite evident, with India often second best in duels and struggling to control the central areas of the pitch.

If India are to put in a stronger performance against Malawi, the midfield must step up. Despite being relatively inexperienced, the players in the middle need to show more composure on the ball, track runners better, and compete harder in physical challenges.

Winning the midfield battle will be crucial if India want to stay in the game and create opportunities going forward.

Improve the attacking agility upfront

India also needs to improve their attacking agility in the final third. In the absence of key players like Manisha Kalyan, Soumya, and Grace, the frontline looked a little off and lacked the usual sharpness going forward.

Pyari Xaxa’s head injury in the previous game against Kenya, which led to her being hospitalized, only adds to the concern and leaves the attacking setup even more uncertain heading into the next match.

This makes it important for Crispin Chettri to rethink the approach and make the necessary tactical adjustments.

A switch to a 4-4-2 formation could be a good option, as it would provide more presence upfront and allow better support between the forwards. More movement off the ball, quicker transitions, and sharper link-up play in the final third will be key if India are to look more threatening against Malawi.

Be confident and perform

Now this change is not tactical, it’s more about the mental pressure that team had during their clash against Kenya, a team which is ranked way below the Blue Tigresses. Mentally the team looked completely down and out, of course there were a lot of key names that were missing from the squad, and the squad comparatively was very young.

Now the Indian team needs to be more confident and adapt to the situation and climate of the African Nation. The clash against Malawi is very important for the Blue Tigresses now as this will test them and their character, rather than just the tactics the team will need to get up again and be confident in their way of football.

Crispin Chettri and the entire coaching staff will now need to make sure that the team is confident heading into the next match and perform at their absolute best.

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