India Draws Tough Group with Japan, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam

New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) India has been placed in Group C alongside powerhouse Japan, former champions Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam for the AFC Women's Asian Cup, which is set to take place in Australia next year.

The draw ceremony for the tournament, comprising 12 teams, will run from March 1 to 21, 2026, and was conducted at the Sydney Town Hall. Indian midfielder Sangita Basfore played a key role as one of the three draw assistants. The teams were distributed into three groups, each containing four teams.

The Blue Tigresses are scheduled to kick off their campaign against Vietnam on March 4, 2026, at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. Following this, India will clash with Japan on March 7 at the same venue, and then face Chinese Taipei on March 10 at the Western Sydney Stadium.

The structure of the tournament allows the top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, to move forward to the quarter-finals. The semi-finalists will secure their place in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while teams that lose in the quarter-finals will compete in playoffs for the remaining two spots at the world stage.

Japan, who triumphed at the Women's World Cup in 2011, is currently the highest-ranked Asian team, holding the seventh spot in the FIFA rankings. They claimed the Women's Asian Cup titles in 2014 and 2018, but missed a third consecutive title after losing to eventual champions China in the 2022 edition, which was hosted in India under a COVID-19 bubble.

Ranked 37th, Vietnam aims to secure a spot at the 2027 Women's World Cup following their debut appearance in the 2023 edition. They successfully topped the playoff round among quarterfinal losers in the 2022 Women's Asian Cup in India, earning a place in the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Chinese Taipei, ranked 42nd, last claimed the AFC Women's Asian Cup title in 1980. They, too, aspire to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

India, currently ranked 70th, is the lowest-ranked team in the group.

In Group A, hosts Australia will compete alongside Korea Republic, Iran, and the Philippines. Group B features DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan.

China, the reigning champions, are in pursuit of a record-extending 10th title. The Indian women’s team faced a setback during the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup in Navi Mumbai when they had to withdraw from a group match against Chinese Taipei. This was due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, despite being in a bio-secure environment.

Unable to field the required minimum 13-player squad, India's match was considered a withdrawal under the competition's rules. Their withdrawal followed a 0-0 draw against Iran in their opening match.

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