New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) India will confront a challenging group in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, where they have been drawn into Group B with Japan, Australia, and Lebanon during the draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

The Young Tigresses qualified for the continental competition for the first time in 21 years, defeating Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in the qualifiers. This achievement marks a significant advance for India’s youth women’s program, which has made consistent progress over recent seasons. India will start their Group B campaign against Australia, followed by matches against Asia’s strong teams, Japan, and debutants Lebanon.

Japan enter as one of the top contenders. The four-time champions, runners-up in 2024, have a strong international record, having won the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2014 and finished second in 2010 and 2016. Their consistent performance at both continental and global levels highlights the significant challenge India faces.

Australia earned their spot with decisive victories over Singapore and the Northern Mariana Islands following a group-stage exit in 2024. They will be eager to go further this time. Lebanon, on the other hand, made history by qualifying for the first time, after defeating Kuwait and Iran to secure their place.

Hosts China headline Group A, competing against Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Meanwhile, Group C includes a strong East Asian lineup with North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in Suzhou, China, from May 1 to May 17, 2026. The two highest-ranked teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals. The semi-finalists will then secure their spots in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup 2026 in Morocco.

AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Draw Results:

Group A: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar

Group B: Japan, Australia, India, Lebanon

Group C: North Korea, South Korea, Philippines, Chinese Taipei

–IANS

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