Suzhou (China), May 8 (IANS) India kept their quarter-final hopes alive with a 4-0 win against Lebanon in Group B of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 here at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre on Friday.

The win meant a third-placed finish for India behind Japan and Australia, but the South Asian side will have to wait for the Group C outcome to learn if this will be enough to make it into the quarter-finals .

With both sides needing victory to keep their hopes alive, it was Lebanon who almost found a way through in the fifth minute, with captain Gia Frangieh sending a neat lob into the box for Yara Geitani, but India goalkeeper Munni Bhambhu was quickly off her line to swoop the ball.

India responded by taking the lead two minutes later, with Pritika Barman surging past Joya Bou Assaf before sidestepping Yasmina Nassar inside the box and lifting the ball over Lebanon goalkeeper Marie Joe Chebly into the top left corner, AFC reports.

India came close to doubling their lead in the ninth minute after Anushka Kumari saw her grounded effort blocked by Nassar, with Julan Nongmaithem skying the rebound over the bar. Geitani had a chance to level the score in the 14th minute but saw her curling effort deflected to safety by India captain Elizabed Lakra, while at the other end, Chebly denied Pritika twice from close range.

India, however, were dominating possession and got their second in the 36th minute with Alva Senjam’s pace taking her past Frangieh, with the Thambalkhong YWC Manipur player then calmly slotting past Chebly to give India a comfortable cushion going into the break.

Lebanon upped their tempo after the break and went close to reducing the deficit in the 57th minute when Yasmin El Habbal shook off her marker, only to see Munni close in with a challenge before ​​Sara Issa’s follow up was cleared off the line by Divyani Linda.

Any hope of a fightback was ended after Joya Joya furthered India’s tally in the 72nd minute when she beat two markers before shooting past Chebly with Pritika doubling her personal tally in the 85th with a solo effort from inside the box to seal the victory.

–IANS

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