India joins Japan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan in Group C of AFC Olympic Football Tournament

The Indian women’s football team, which has qualified for the AFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024, has been placed in Group C along with Japan, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan.

The draw was held on Thursday. The Indian women’s football team, also known as the Blue Tigresses, is ranked 61st in the world. Japan is ranked 11th in the world, Vietnam is placed 33rd, and Uzbekistan is in the 50th position, according to AIFF.

India qualified for Round 2 by defeating the Kyrgyz Republic twice earlier this year. The Blue Tigresses beat the Kyrgyz Republic in a two-legged playoff 5-0 and 4-0. India also played Uzbekistan in a one-off friendly during the qualification rounds, losing 3-2 to an injury-time goal.

The Blue Tigresses have suffered narrow one-goal losses in their three previous matches against Uzbekistan. India last faced Vietnam in a friendly match in Hanoi in 2019, and the tie ended in a 1-1 draw. The last meeting with Japan took place in the 1997 Asian Women’s Championship, with India going down 1-0.

The AFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 Round 2 matches will be played between October 23 and November 1 this year. India will play their Group C games in Uzbekistan.

Four teams, the three group winners and the best-ranked runners-up, will progress to Round 3 to play two pairs of home and away matches, slated for February 24 and 28, 2024. The winners will take the two spots reserved for Asia in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Paris in 2024.