Indian U17 Women’s team head coach PV Priya announced a 23-member squad for the 2023 SAFF U17 Women’s Championship hosted by Bangladesh. The tournament will start on March 20, 2023 and end with the final on 28th March 2023. Five countries including a UEFA nation in Russia will participate in a single round-robin format. The team with the most points at the end of matches will be declared champions. The competition will also serve as preparation games for the Young Tigresses looking to be in their best shape ahead of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in April.
Preparation
PV Priya’s girls have been in excellent form of late after their massive wins in both friendlies over Jordan in February. India scored 13 goals and conceded none in those matches (7-0 and 6-0). Shilji Shaji scored a quadruple in both games with Manisha and Pooja also getting their share of the pie. The has been in a training camp in Indore preparing for the SAFF U17 Championship for the past two months. The two times winners of the contest will try to add a third title to their name in Bangladesh.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Anisha Oraon, Khushi Kumari, Shreya Sharma
Defenders: Heena Khatun, Thoi Thoi Devi Yendrenbam, Juhi Singh, Akhila Rajan, Vikshit Bara, Nishima Kumari, Thoibisana Chanu Toijam
Midfielders: Menaka Devi Lourembam, Shilji Shaji, Babita Kumari, Shaulina Dang, Shivani Toppo, Shibani Devi Nongmeikapam, Lalita Boypai, Ribahunshisha Kharshiing
Forwards: Pooja, Cindy Remruatpuii Colney
Head Coach: PV Priya
Fixtures
March 20: Nepal vs India (14:45)
March 24: India vs Bangladesh (18:45)
March 26: India vs Bhutan (14:45 IST)
March 28: Russia vs India (18:45 IST)
All games will be played at the BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh
India will start their journey in SAFF U17 Women’s Championship against the holders Nepal on March 20, 2023. It will be followed by a match against the hosts Bangladesh four days later before facing Bhutan on the 26th of March 2023. Banned from UEFA competitions after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s U17 women’s team will participate in the 5th edition of the tournament as the first European-affiliated nation to compete under an Asian federation. They will take on India for the last game of the competition in what will be a historical affair.
Note: kick-offs are in Indian Standard Time (IST)
