Top three players from Indian U20 Women's historic AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup campaign

The India U20 team did not concede a single goal throughout the campaign.

The India U20 Women’s team, led by Joakim Alexandersson, followed in the footsteps of the Blue Tigresses, and after a wait of twenty long years, India will feature at the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Thailand.

Recently, the senior women’s team secured a historic qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia after 23 years and is inching closer to realising India’s dream of playing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Australia.

This is a historic occasion for the Young Tigresses with another feat, as they remained unbeaten and did not concede even a solitary goal in the entire qualifier campaign. To double the celebration, AIFF announced a reward of USD 25,000 for the young tigresses, who have etched their names in golden letters and created history in Myanmar.

Also Read: India seal AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 spot for first time in 20 years

In this feature article, we shall take a closer look at the top three players from India’s campaign in the AFC Women’s U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

3. Monalisha Devi

The 19-year-old custodian from Manipur was a rock-solid presence between the sticks for the Indian U-20 Women’s football team. Her shot-stopping abilities were commendable, as the Blue Tigress kept three back-to-back clean sheets against opponents like Indonesia, Turkmenistan and Myanmar.

After the Young Tigresses took a lead in the must-win game against Myanmar U-20, it was Monalisha who stood between Myanmar and their hopes of finding that equaliser. Her commitment and passion were vivid, as despite succumbing to an injury, she refused to leave the pitch.

The goal-line clearance against Myanmar in the last quarter shall remain a tale to inspire young girls for generations to come. Currently plying her trade with Sreebhumi FC, Monalisha unarguably has a bright future ahead and could be the next big thing for Indian women’s football, following the footsteps of Aditi Chauhan.

2. Shubhangi Singh

The teenager from Uttar Pradesh led the young Blue Tigress to achieve a historic feat that many in the last two decades could not. She led her team from behind and showed immense maturity in the entire qualifier campaign to help India clinch seven points out of a possible nine.

She not only stood as a defensive wall and helped the team secure three clean sheets, but also was crucial in navigating attacks from behind. She even found her name in the scoresheet when she scored a brace against Turkmenistan in a 7-0 thrashing.

1. Neha

The teenage sensation from Haryana, who is also a part of Odisha FC Women, was a live wire for the Indian U-20 Women’s team in the campaign. She may not have found her name in the scoresheet, but she was the creative force behind Young Tigresses’ dominant display upfront.

She dominated the left flank with her pace and acceleration, but impressed a lot in all three games. From making those entries into the opposition box to dribbling past the defenders, Neha was truly one of Young Tigresses’ best players in the entire qualifier campaign.

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