India have been drawn into Group C of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, alongside regional heavyweights Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei. The draw was conducted at the iconic Sydney Town Hall.
Placed in position C3, the Blue Tigresses will begin their Women’s Asian Cup with a match against Vietnam on March 4, 2026, at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. India will then face Japan on March 7 at the same venue, before squaring off against Chinese Taipei on March 10 at the Western Sydney Stadium.
The 21st edition of the continent’s premier women’s football tournament will take place in Australia from March 1 to 21, 2026, across three cities — Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast — featuring venues that also hosted matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
Representing India at the draw were head coach Crispin Chettri and midfielder Sangita Basfore. The latter had the honour of serving as one of the three official draw assistants, alongside Australia’s Tameka Yallop and Korea Republic’s Jeon Yu-gyeong. Sangita earned the spotlight after scoring a brace against Thailand in the final round of qualifiers.
🚨 India placed in Group C alongside Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, to be hosted by Australia.#IndianFootball #AFCWomensAsianCUp #AFC pic.twitter.com/SN6bJzyjtA
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 29, 2025
Twelve teams have been divided into three groups of four, with the top two sides from each group and the two best third-placed teams advancing to the quarter-finals. The four winners of the last-eight stage will earn direct qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil. The quarter-final losers will enter play-offs for two additional direct spots, while the remaining two will move to the inter-confederation play-offs.
India qualified for the Asian Cup after topping Group B in the qualifiers, registering memorable wins over Thailand, Iraq, Timor-Leste and Mongolia. This will be their first appearance at the continental showpiece since 2003. The Blue Tigresses were runner-up in 1980 and 1983 — their best finishes to date.
In terms of seeding, India were placed in Pot 4 owing to their FIFA ranking of 70. Hosts Australia, along with China PR, Korea Republic and Japan — the top three from the 2022 edition — had already secured automatic qualifications.
Drawn into a challenging group, India face a tough path, but the historic qualification campaign has instilled belief. The countdown to March 2026 has begun.
INDIA’S FIXTURES IN THE AFC WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP AUSTRALIA 2026
March 4, 2026: Vietnam vs India (Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)
March 7, 2026: India vs Japan (Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)
March 10, 2026: India vs Chinese Taipei (Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney)
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