New Delhi: Guided by new football head coach Amelia Valverde, a resurgent India seemed plain unlucky to lose their first match 2-1 to Vietnam as they returned to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 stage in Australia for the first time since 2022. Vietnam is 31 places above India in the FIFA rankings.
India’s lone goal in the March 4 Group C match was scored by Sanfida Nongrum, a midfielder from Meghalaya. But that is just the tip of the Northeast iceberg that the Indian women’s football team is: as many as 10 of India’s 26-member squad come from Northeastern states such as Manipur and Meghalaya. Nine players in the squad are from Manipur, including captain Sweety Devi Ngangbam and goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu Elangbam.
It’s no big surprise, though, for these states have long been strong talent hubs for Indian women’s football. “Sports is part of our culture to begin with, and in the Northeast, there is no differentiation. Women’s participation is equal to men in everything; sports is no different. We have a big representation in the women’s squad because there is no restriction on women. They are not just homemakers here,” former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia told ThePrint.
He applauded the women’s team’s performance against Vietnam. In fact, Nongrum is from Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools. “She has done a fantastic job. The second goal from Vietnam was just unlucky, but it was a good show by our team,” he said.
On the sport’s popularity in the Northeast, Bhutia explains that the region’s climate and terrain both help its popularity. He did, however, highlight how little, in terms of funds and infrastructure, is being done for the women footballers who still put their best foot forward.
“As for women, we give them equal priority. In other parts of the country, there are a lot of restrictions, we don’t have any of them in terms of dressing up and playing. Hence, you see more women from the Northeast representing the country,” Bhutia said.
Nongrum, who was a substitute playing her debut match, scored a goal for her team in the second half making the scoreboard equal 1-1. In the 94th minute, however, Ngân Thị Vạn Sự helped Vietnam claim a 2-1 win over India in their opening Group C encounter.
Other players from Manipur in the Indian contingent include Shilky Devi Hemam, Sarita Yumnam, Martina Thokchom, Nirmala Devi Phanjoubam, Babina Devi Lisham, Grace Dangmei and Lynda Kom Serto.
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Road ahead for India
Going ahead, India will have a chance to shake off the defeat against Vietnam. They will next play world No. 8 Japan on Saturday, followed by Chinese Taipei on March 10.
Twelve football teams have been divided into three groups of four. Each team will play every other team in its group only once. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will move on to the knockout stage.
The four teams that win their quarter-final matches will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The four quarter-final losers will then play additional matches to decide the final two direct qualifiers and the two Asian teams that will enter the inter-confederation play-offs.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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