New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey on Friday convened a meeting with deputy secretary general, M. Satyanarayan, technical director Syed Sabir Pasha, director of national teams Subrata Paul, Indian women’s national team head coach Crispin Chettri and assistant coach Priya PV, to chart the women’s national team’s preparation plans for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026.

AIFF said that the 2025-26 Indian Women’s League season, featuring eight teams playing 14 matches each, will run from September 2025 to January 2026. The Indian U20 women’s team will also participate in the IWL.

The earlier-than-usual scheduling would allow for ample preparation time in the lead-up to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, scheduled for March 1 to 21, 2026.

It also added that the women’s team will undergo 83 days of preparation camps, conducted in three phases. This will include 10-12 international friendlies and five to seven matches with domestic teams.

To effectively manage this calendar, the AIFF will engage with all IWL club owners to seek their support and cooperation in releasing players for the camps as and when required for the national interest.

With this plan, each player is projected to play at least 30 matches between August and February, combining both club and international commitments. To facilitate uninterrupted national team preparation in the lead-up to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, it was also suggested that the senior women’s national football championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy 2025-26 be scheduled after the conclusion of the continental tournament.

India sealed a historic return to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after 22 years with a 2-1 win over hosts Thailand in their final Group B qualifier in Chiang Mai. Sangita Basfore scored twice, guiding India past a strong Thai side in a virtual playoff. This marks India’s first qualification since 2003, excluding their host entry in 2022.

–IANS

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