AFC Olympic Qualifiers: Blue Tigresses gear up for mighty Japan challenge

India was last in competitive action in the 19th Asian Games in China last month, losing both games to Chinese Taipei and Thailand, two higher-ranked teams.

Indian Women’s team head coach Thomas Dennerby during a training session. | Photo Credit: AIFF MEDIA

The Indian senior women’s team, which had effortlessly trounced Kyrgyz Republic in the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers Round 1 in April, will open its Round 2 campaign against former world champion Japan at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent on Thursday.

The Blue Tigresses landed in the Uzbek capital on Monday evening after a training camp in Abha, Saudi Arabia.

India was last in competitive action in the 19th Asian Games in China last month, losing both games to Chinese Taipei and Thailand, two higher-ranked teams.

All teams in India’s group in the Olympic Qualifiers (Vietnam and Uzbekistan are the others) also have higher rankings. But those are only numbers on paper, according to head coach Thomas Dennerby.

“Ranks are on paper. Matches are played on the pitch. Japan are one of the best in the world, but there is always a chance for a lower-ranked team to win the game. And if we have a good start, then we can make Japan a little bit nervous. So hopefully, my players will have a good day tomorrow,” said Dennerby at the pre-match press conference.

The Japanese women’s team needs little introduction. The Futoshi Ikeda-coached side reached the quarterfinal of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the summer, famously beating eventual champions Spain 4-0 in the group stage, before being eliminated by Dennerby’s own nation Sweden.

The Nadeshiko then won the gold medal at the Asian Games with practically their second-string team, while their first team thrashed Argentina 8-0 in a friendly.

India captain Loitongbam Ashalata Devi is raring to face the challenge. “Obviously, the opponent has a better ranking than us, but we don’t care about that. We respect the opponent, but we don’t fear anyone. We have to fight for the win tomorrow,” she asserted.

The 30-year-old captain is among the senior-most players in the team, younger than only Ngangom Bala Devi. The star striker made her India debut in 2005, the year in which Astam Oraon and Hemam Shilky Devi were born.

Highlighting the good mix of youth and experience, Dennerby said, “We have players who played the FIFA U-17 World Cup. We have players from the U-20 team. And we have good experience also, with our captain and other girls. So it’s a good mix of players - the young, hungry ones and the experienced, calm ones. Hopefully, we can show it on the pitch. We are really looking forward to some good games here.”