The senior Indian women\u2019s national team faces Uzbekistan in the first of two FIFA International Friendlies on Friday at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India head coach Crispin Chettri said at the pre-match press conference, \u201cWe are moving in the right direction. The team have had almost 25 days of preparation, everything\u2019s going as per the expectations.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Since Chettri took over as the head coach of the Blue Tigresses in February, the senior India women\u2019s national team has seen a transition to a much younger squad, something that the coach has emphasised.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe are in a transition phase at the moment, and as a coach, I am willing to struggle and sacrifice for it,\u201d said Chettri. \u201cIt\u2019s a mixed bunch that we have. While there are many youngsters, we also have some very good seniors like Panthoi (Chanu Elangbam), Grace (Dangmei), Sweety (Devi Ngangbam), Anju (Tamang), and Ratan (Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe are without the likes of Ashalata (Devi Loitongbam), Dalima (Chhibber), Aditi (Chauhan), and Indu (Indumathi Kathiresan),\u201d he continued.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s important for us right now is to prepare for the next generation. We must develop the younger generation of players for 2031. I think with the mix of experienced players around them, we are heading in the right direction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe important thing is we have senior players in all the key positions like a goalkeeper, centre-back, midfield, and forward,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With the Blue Tigresses set to play the AFC Women\u2019s Asian Cup Australia 2026 qualifiers from June 23 to July 5, in Group B against Mongolia (June 23), Timor-Leste (June 29), Iraq (July 2), and hosts Thailand (July 5), the time for match-preparation is now. However, Chettri is willing to sacrifice results for development.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe Uzbekistan matches are ones where we want to explore and give opportunities to youngsters. We simply want to play proper football and keep possession whenever we can. Instead of the results, we are looking more at how the players fulfill their roles and responsibilities, and there\u2019s no match better to do that than against a quality team like Uzbekistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Defender Hemam Shilky Devi stressed the importance of the month-long camp in Bengaluru, as the team prepared with Asian qualification as the primary target.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had an extremely good camp so far. The facilities that we have been using are excellent, and we\u2019ve been able to just focus on training all month long,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Uzbekistan hold the upper hand in the head-to-head record against India, having won nine of the 13 matches played between the two teams so far, with three matches ending in draws. India, meanwhile, have only won once against Uzbekistan, back in 2003. The last time the two teams played each other was in June 2024, which ended in a stalemate in a friendly in Tashkent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe played quite often against them, and they are a very good team. We\u2019ve got a lot of respect for them. But our team is also improving, and with the preparation that we\u2019ve had, I can only hope that we will do better than last year,\u201d said Shilky.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Uzbekistan senior women\u2019s national team head coach Kotryna Kulbyte lauded the strides India have made in women\u2019s football.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIndia are a very good opponent, and that is why we agreed to play them in these two friendly matches. They\u2019ve been camping for a month now, so we are expecting a tough couple of matches,\u201d said Kulbyte.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe know how fast women\u2019s football is growing in India with increasing help from the government. I just hope both teams enjoy the game tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIndia are a very good opponent, and that is why we agreed to play them in these two friendly matches. They\u2019ve been camping for a month now, so we are expecting a tough couple of matches,\u201d said Kulbyte.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> LIVE Cricket Score<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n