Strong friendlies key to success in AFC Women's Asian Cup, says India football captain Sweety

New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The Indian women's football team will face a tough challenge in the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia next year as they have been put in Group C with Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei and captain Sweety Devi emphaised on the need of doing well in friendlies in order to prepare well for the tournament.

The Blue Tigresses will begin their Women's Asian Cup in Group C with a match against Vietnam on March 4, 2026. They will then face Japan on March 7 and Chinese Taipei on March 10.

"The tournament will be a tough challenge for us, but we are ready for it. We will play many friendlies till March next year, and will aim to do well in those matches. It is very important to keep the momentum going," Sweety said during the launch of Zinc Football Girls Academy in Zawar near Udaipur.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will lend technical and strategic support to the Academy to develop women’s football.

Zinc Football is a one-of-its-kind grassroots football development initiative, at the core of which is a full-fledged residential girls' football academy with world-class facilities and the country’s first-ever ‘technology-hinged football training’ – the unique F-Cube technology.

The initiative aims to contribute to the development of Indian football while leveraging the power of the world’s most loved sport to impact lives and ensure the social upliftment of women, children, and people.

Hindustan Zinc's academy will have an initial batch of 20 girls from different states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, and Jharkhand.

The Indian women's football team qualified for the tournament under Sweety's captaincy after defeating hosts Thailand 2-1 in the Qualifiers this month. She relished the opportunity of captaining India and marked the FIFA Women's World Cup as the team's main target.

Sweety said, "I am very lucky I got the opportunity to captain the Indian women's football team. I will continue to do well for India and work towards our ultimate aim, which is to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. I am sure that we have the ability to do it and have to keep working hard to achieve this milestone."

--IANS

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