Turkish Women's Cup 2024: Kosovo vs India Live

History will beckon the Indian Senior Women’s Team when they step onto the quaint Gold City Sports Complex here on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, to play against Kosovo in their concluding round-robin match of the Turkish Women’s Cup.

The Blue Tigresses have won their two matches in the four-team round-robin, securing victories against Estonia (4-3) and Hong Kong (2-0) to accumulate six points. Kosovo have also garnered six points with victories against Hong Kong (1-0) and Estonia. Kosovo, however, are ahead of India (+3) in goal difference (+4).

Given the standings of the two teams in the competition, Tuesday’s match has assumed the importance of a virtual final, though a draw would be enough for Kosovo to win the title for the second time in a row. India would need to bag three points to take the trophy home.

The head coach, Chaoba Devi, however, stays unperturbed and is not going into the match with such calculations in mind. To her, it’s a match that can change the course of women’s football in India.

“Tomorrow’s match against Kosovo holds immense importance for us and securing a win and taking the trophy back would be a historic achievement. Our girls are motivated. They are hardcore professionals, well-versed in every aspect of preparation, from nutrition to rest. They are looking fresh and fully prepared for the challenge ahead,” she said ahead of the Kosovo clash. 

The Kosovo women’s national team, known as the Dardanians, draw its name from an ancient Paleo-Balkan tribe that inhabited the territory of Dardania in Southeast Europe. They were the champions, along with Slovenia, in last year’s edition by defeating all three opponents, Estonia (2-1), Hong Kong (7-0), and Bulgaria (2-1), in their group.

“Kosovo present a strong challenge, far greater than Estonia or Hong Kong. After studying their past matches, I am confident that if our girls unite and play together, we can win. We must treat this match as the final, with no room for anything but victory. We don’t have any plan B with us.

“We have played against teams like Romania, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan earlier. However, Kosovo, having potential players, pose a different challenge. They will not treat us lightly and will not allow us space to score, but we will be ready for the challenge,” she said. 

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