India U-20 women qualify for AFC Asian Cup after 20 years

India under-20 women’s football team qualified for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup after 20 years, defeating hosts Myanmar 1-0 in Yangon, with Pooja scoring the decisive 27th-minute goal

Hyderabad: The India under-20 women’s national team secured qualification for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in 20 years, after defeating hosts Myanmar 1-0 in their final Group D encounter at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday.

The Young Tigresses finished top of their group with seven points after winger Pooja’s 27th-minute goal secured victory in front of a partisan crowd at the Thuwunna Stadium.

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It was a game of two halves — the first dominated by India, while Myanmar controlled the proceedings in the second. Neha and Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam combined as early as the third minute, when the former fizzed in a cross to the latter, who was merely inches away from tapping it in.

While the hosts absorbed all the pressure, they did launch a few counterattacks, and forward Su Su Khin came close in the ninth minute, after receiving a chest-down from Yin Loon Eain.

The hosts began to ease their way into the game as the minutes wore on, but India took the lead through Pooja minutes ahead of the 30-minute mark. It was Pooja herself who had started the attack on the counter before crossing it in from the right. Her ball evaded one and all, but Neha, at the opposite flank, managed to get onto the end of it and sent it looping back in. Pooja, who had made her way to the goalmouth by then, barely had enough time to react, and plonked it over the line with her torso.

The second half was a completely different prospect. Buoyed by the home support, Myanmar came all guns blazing, and India goalkeeper Monalisha Devi had to make a smart 48th-minute save to keep Su Su Khin out.

India had dug their trenches, and they dug deep, as they absorbed wave after wave of Myanmar attacks. Monalisha, who had not conceded a single goal in the previous two matches, was called into action with 10 minutes left on the clock when Myanmar substitute Moe Pwint Phyu struck a headed cross by Ei Thet Phyo into the upright. The ball kept rolling tantalisingly on the line before the India goalkeeper leapt across and swiped it away to safety.

Phyu hit the woodwork once again, this time in the 90th minute, when her shot took a deflection off Shubhangi, only to crash into the upright and bounce out of play. Seconds later, India broke on the counter as Sibani sent a cross to Sulanjana Raul, who also hit the woodwork, her header crashing into the crossbar. Despite all the pressure from the hosts, India clung on to their lead and secured qualification for the first time in two decades.