India Drawn with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan in AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur – India has been placed in Group G alongside Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 Qualifiers, as revealed during the official draw held at the AFC House on Thursday.

A total of 27 teams have been split into eight groups—three groups of four teams and five groups of three—who will compete in a single round-robin format at centralized venues from October 13 to 17.

India will play both of their Group G matches in Bishkek, starting with Kyrgyzstan on October 13, followed by Uzbekistan on October 17.

The eight group winners will advance to the final tournament, joining the four AFC teams that have already qualified by virtue of their participation in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025—North Korea, Japan, South Korea, and China—forming a 12-team lineup. This is an expansion from the previous edition.

For the draw, the teams were seeded into four pots based on a points system that considered their performances in the last three editions. India was placed in Pot 1.

The AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 Finals will be held from April 30 to May 17, 2026, and the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026.

India last competed in the tournament in 2005, and the Young Tigresses will now aim to make history by qualifying for the continental finals through the qualifiers for the first time.

AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 Qualifiers – Group Stage Draw

• Group A: Philippines, Malaysia, Tajikistan (H), Syria

• Group B: Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (H)

• Group C: Indonesia, Myanmar (H), Mongolia, Macau

• Group D: Vietnam (H), Hong Kong, China, Guam

• Group E: Australia, Singapore (H), Northern Mariana Islands

• Group F: Thailand (H), Nepal, Turkmenistan

• Group G: India, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic (H)

• Group H: Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Jordan (H)

India’s Fixtures

• October 13: Kyrgyzstan vs India

• October 17: India vs Uzbekistan

With inputs from IANS