Selayang, Malaysia: India’s U17 women’s football team began their AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers campaign in emphatic fashion, producing a record-breaking 14-0 victory over Iraq at the MP Selayang Stadium on Monday.
The result marked India’s biggest win in this age group, surpassing their previous 12-0 victories against the UAE in 2014 and Sri Lanka in 2018.
India Unleash a Goal Rush
The Young Tigresses needed little time to establish control.
Anushka Kumari opened the scoring in the ninth minute and doubled India’s advantage just three minutes later. The forward completed her hat-trick before half-time and eventually finished the match with five goals, earning the Player of the Match award.
India continued to exploit gaps in the Iraqi defence, with Thandamoni Baskey, Silky Devi Sorokhaibam and Nira Chanu Longjam also finding the net in the opening half.
By the interval, India had already built a commanding 7-0 lead.
Relentless After the Break
The second half followed much the same pattern.
Anushka added her fourth goal only two minutes after the restart, while substitute Pritika Barman reacted quickest to a rebound to make it 9-0.
India continued to create chances, although the Iraqi goalkeeper produced several important saves to keep the score from rising even further.
The match was then temporarily halted after 64 minutes because of poor weather conditions. Play resumed around 30 minutes later, but the interruption did little to change India’s momentum.
Abhista Adds Two Headers
India captain Abhista Basnett then made her presence felt at both ends of the pitch.
The centre-back rose above the defence to convert a corner from Ritu Baidaik, before Anushka completed her outstanding afternoon with her fifth goal from outside the box.
Joya Kabul Hasan subsequently added another after Pritika created the opening, while Abhista headed in her second goal to push India beyond their previous record.
The final goal arrived deep into stoppage time. Following a free-kick that struck the crossbar, Alva Devi Senjam reacted quickest inside the box and headed home to complete the extraordinary 14-0 scoreline.
Midfield Control Sets the Tone
While India’s attacking players received most of the attention, their overall performance was built on control in midfield.
Under head coach Joakim Alexandersson, India maintained a compact shape, pressed effectively and moved the ball quickly. The wide players repeatedly stretched Iraq’s defensive structure, creating spaces for India’s forwards to attack.
Redima Devi Chingkhamayum was particularly influential, while Thandamoni, Silky and Alva also played important roles in opening up the opposition defence.
India’s dominance was reflected in the lack of meaningful opportunities created by Iraq, with the Indian defence spending much of the game comfortably dealing with the limited threat.
Qualification Race Continues
The Young Tigresses will now shift their focus to their second Group E fixture against Syria on October 8, with kick-off scheduled for 1:00 PM IST.
India will then face hosts Malaysia on October 11 at 6:30 PM IST.
The stakes are high, with only the Group E winners advancing to the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027.
After a record-breaking opening performance, India have sent out a strong message to their Group E rivals. The challenge now will be to maintain the same intensity and momentum in the remaining fixtures.
