India reaches Australia early for AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 preparations

India, the first team to arrive in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, are settling into their training in Perth ahead of their first match against Vietnam on March 4. The team is highly motivated and ready for competition

Hyderabad: India were the first among the 11 visiting teams to reach Australia ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, touching down in Perth on February 11, three weeks before their first game against Vietnam on March 4.

Carrying valuable experience from their Türkiye tour, the Blue Tigresses have maintained their training momentum Down Under and are now eager to get the ball rolling at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.

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“We were the first team to arrive on the 11th, and we’re very happy to already be here and properly settled, which is important,” said India head coach Amelia Valverde.

“We’re now counting down the days, about 12 to go, until our first match. We’re very happy with how things feel with the players and the group. The team is in a good place, training well, and also waiting for the official activities to begin,” she told the-aiff.com.

From the single-digit temperatures in the Turkish winter, Valverde and her side have had to adjust to the summer in Perth, but arriving early has made that process a lot smoother.

“It took a few days to adapt to the time difference and also to the weather. The climate here is very different from Türkiye. It was raining heavily there. Here, the temperatures are significantly hotter, ranging from 30 to 35 degrees during the day. But that’s not a problem. Our matches are at night, so temperatures will be more controlled.”

The preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup began back home in Gurugram following the conclusion of the first half of the IWL season in mid-January. After assembling near the capital, where they trained for three days, the Blue Tigresses jetted off to Antalya, where Valverde reunited with the team for the first time.

In Türkiye, India played six friendly games against European clubs, winning three (against Schlieren, Hertha BSC, and Zvezda-2005 Perm), drawing one (against Spartak Moscow), and losing two (against Metalist 1925 and Csíkszereda). Valverde extensively rotated players, sometimes fielding a different line-up in each half, to give game time to as many players as possible and assess the squad’s quality.

“Most of those friendlies were very good preparation games. That’s what friendlies are for: gaining rhythm, observing, evaluating, and trying scenarios.”

In Perth, the Blue Tigresses follow a rigorous training schedule, holding on-field and gym sessions every day, while evenings are reserved for team meetings and opposition analysis. India won their first friendly game on Australian soil against Perth RedStar FC 5-0 on Thursday and will play another against Perth Azzurri on Monday.

“I feel the group is super motivated. We still have time, and controlling emotions and managing everything we carry inside will be key. We have a group that works spectacularly and trains very well. The better we train, the closer we get to being able to compete very well. That’s where our energy and focus are right now.”