India U17 Women to face Sweden and Thailand

Preparations are currently in top gears to ensure that the Indian U17 Women’s team has a good outing next year when the country hosts the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup with a U17 Women’s Football Tournament set to be staged at the Mumbai Football Arena.

The tournament as planned by the Union of European Football Association UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation will come straight after the Hero U17 Women’s tournament in Kalyani where 73 young players split into four different teams to face each other.

India are set to now take on European powerhouses in female football, Sweden and Thailand whose national women’s team featured at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France earlier this year in the competition under the UEFA assist program.

According to the All India Football Federation General Secretary, Kushal Das both the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup and the special U17 tournament to be hosted is an immense chance for India to face and play against experienced teams in the mould of Sweden and Thailand who are quality oppositions.

He also expressed gratitude to AFC, UEFA AND FSDL including the Ministry For Sports and Youth as well as Hero Motorcorp for their help in ensuring such a competition is taking place in India.

Also reacting Is the coach of the India national U17 Thomas Dennerby who believes there would be a whole lot of benefits for his team stating that playing strong teams in international friendlies will be of help in strategizing and decision making.

He also revealed that the team and its staff are all looking forward to the games as India would face Sweden twice on December 13, 2019, and on December 15, 2019, as well as Thailand on December 17, 2019, with the final game on Thursday, December 19.
The following players have been called up in the 22-woman list:

Goalkeepers: Manju Ganjhu (Odisha), Anshika (Haryana), Tanu (Haryana).

Defenders: Purnima Kumari (Jharkhand), Jyoti Kumari (Odisha), Nirmala Devi Phanjoubam (Manipur), Shilky Devi Hemam (Manipur), Kritina Devi Thounaojam (Manipur), Nisha (Haryana), Astam Oraon (Jharkhand).

Midfielders: Martina Thokchom (Manipur), Priyangka Devi Naorem (Manipur), Babina Devi Lisham (Manipur), Amisha Baxla (Jharkhand), Aveka Singh (Delhi), Kiran (Haryana), Daisy Crasto (Goa), Sunita Munda (Jharkhand), Mariyammal Balamurugan (Tamil Nadu).

Forwards: Sumati Kumari (Jharkhand), Lynda Kom Serto (Manipur), Sai Sankhe (Maharashtra)

Written by:Idowu Daniel Ademiju