Tashkent, Uzbekistan: The Indian women’s football team is all set to embark on their campaign in the AFC Women’s Olympic Football Qualifying Tournament as they face Japan in their opening match on October 26 at JAR Stadium in Tashkent. The schedule for the second round of the tournament was announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Thursday, following the draws that took place in May.
Japan, the silver medalists from the London 2012 Olympics and currently ranked 11th in the FIFA rankings, will be the top side in Group C. The Indian women’s team, ranked 60th in the world, will face tough competition from Vietnam (ranked 32nd) and the hosts, Uzbekistan (ranked 49th).
After their opener against Japan, the Indian football team will face Vietnam on October 29 at the same venue, followed by a match against Uzbekistan on November 1 at the Bunyodkor Stadium.
The first round of the AFC Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament took place in April, where India secured their place in the second round after defeating the Kyrgyz Republic 5-0 and 4-0 in a two-legged playoff in Bishkek.
The second round of the AFC Women’s Olympic qualifiers features a total of 12 teams, equally divided into three groups (A-C). In the third and final round, scheduled for February 2024, the three group winners and the best-placed runner-up from the second round will compete for the two coveted spots at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
While the Indian men’s football team has made four appearances at the Olympic Games, the Indian women’s team has yet to make its debut at the prestigious quadrennial event. The upcoming qualifiers provide them with an opportunity to showcase their skills and determination on the international stage and secure a historic qualification for the Olympics.
AFC’s Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football qualifiers round 2:
India’s schedule
October 26, Thursday: Japan vs India – 3:30 PM IST
October 29, Sunday: India vs Vietnam – 3:30 PM IST
November 1: Uzbekistan vs India – 5:30 PM IST
AFC’s Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football qualifiers second round groups
Group A: Australia (hosts), Chinese Taipei, Philippines, Iran
Group B: People’s Republic of China (hosts), The Republic of Korea, Thailand, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan (hosts), India.
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