India U17 Women Learn from Uzbekistan Tour
The Indian U17 women's national football team held Uzbekistan to two 0-0 draws in friendlies, with coach Joakim Alexandersson praising defensive solidity
India's U17 women's national team drew 0-0 in both friendly matches against Uzbekistan in Tashkent last week. Head coach Joakim Alexandersson told Khel Now the scoreline reflected his team's performances, as they dominated play but were sloppy in the final third.
The tour served as key preparation for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, scheduled for October 5 to 11 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Alexandersson, who led the side to historic qualification for the 2026 edition, is now targeting back-to-back qualifications for the first time.
Defensive Foundation Provides Reassurance
The real positive from the 180 minutes of football was India's defensive performance. The backline suffocated Uzbekistan's attack on home soil, not conceding any major chances. Alexandersson said the defensive display was very much in line with his expectations.
He explained that the defensive performance, in particular, was very much in line with what he wants from the team. He noted the team looked well-synchronised as a unit and showed a level of aggression emphasised in training.
Attacking Sharpness Remains a Work in Progress
Despite the defensive solidity, the tour highlighted clear areas for improvement in attack. Alexandersson stated his team created many good half-chances and a few clear-cut opportunities, enough to normally win the matches. The execution, however, was lacking.
He said the team was dominant in both matches, but sloppy in passing and combinations in the final third, which affected the number of chances created. Specific issues included the timing of runs into the box for crosses and composure in front of goal when facing blocks.
Final Preparations Before Qualifiers
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson believes the away fixtures were valuable for giving attacking players international playing time and understanding. The team returned to India on Monday to resume their preparatory camp in Porvorim, Goa.
Before travelling to Malaysia for the qualifiers, India is set to play two more friendlies against the Philippines on September 26 and 29. Alexandersson reflected positively on the team's growing cohesion.
He said the most important thing he takes away is that the girls genuinely seem to enjoy being together and that they had a very positive few days as a group. He added the group has a strong desire to develop and possesses great talent, but needs to become more tactically intelligent, especially in the final third. He believes they have a fair chance to put up good performances soon.
