The Indian women’s football team returns to action this week in Shillong, kicking off a crucial phase in their preparation for next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026. The opening fixture between India vs Iran of the Tri-Nation International Friendlies marks not just another international matchday but the beginning of a long-term strategic cycle that could define the Blue Tigresses’ path toward the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
The October 2025 FIFA international window serves as India’s first major outing since their historic qualification for the continental showpiece, achieved through a gritty victory over Thailand earlier this year. Now under the continued guidance of Head Coach Crispin Chettri, the focus shifts toward building competitive depth and tactical maturity.
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This three-team tournament featuring Iran (FIFA Rank 70) and Nepal (Rank 87) is India’s first competitive appearance in nearly four months. It comes at a decisive moment an opportunity to evaluate emerging talent, test physical endurance, and experiment with combinations that will be critical in Australia next March.
The tournament will unfold at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, a venue deeply connected to Indian football’s history and identity. It marks India’s first women’s international in the city in nine years their last appearance here came during the 2016 South Asian Games, where they secured the gold medal. For local fans, many of whom have grown up watching Shillong Lajong and IWL fixtures at the same ground, this return holds sentimental significance.
Coach Chettri and his staff view the Iran fixture as a simulation of the intensity and physicality that awaits in Australia. Ranked just seven places below India (63rd), the Iranians bring an aggressive, structured defensive style that mirrors mid-tier Asian opponents such as Vietnam and Chinese Taipei both of whom share India’s Group C at the 2026 Asian Cup. Iran’s progress in recent years has been remarkable. They topped their AFC 2026 qualifying group, defeating Jordan, Bhutan, and Singapore. Even with injuries to key players such as Hajar Dabbaghi and Mona Hamoudi, coach Marzieh Jafari’s side remains compact, resolute, and tactically mature.
From an Indian perspective, this is the perfect test of resilience. The two teams last met during the 2022 Asian Cup, ending in a goalless draw before India’s withdrawal from the tournament. Their previous full contest in 2019 saw India win 1–0, but this time, the stakes are higher it’s not about the scoreline as much as the performance standard.
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As Chettri put it in his pre-match assessment, the Iran clash is “about playing through pressure, not around it.” India’s ability to maintain structure against a side that thrives on physical duels will provide valuable insights into their tactical readiness for the continental stage.
Building Depth, Not Just Results
Chettri’s central objective for the Shillong window extends beyond the immediate results it’s about broadening the national player pool to 25 or more players. Several experienced names are unavailable due to employment-related commitments, exposing the longstanding structural tension between player welfare and institutional policy.
This opens the door for fresh faces from the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, India’s premier domestic women’s championship, which has become the main scouting platform for national selection. The squad composition featuring two goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders, and eight forwards reflects the staff’s intent to experiment with attacking configurations and test adaptability in the final third.
The emphasis is clear: Chettri wants tactical elasticity, particularly in breaking down low blocks a weakness that was exposed in past tournaments. The Shillong friendlies, therefore, serve as both laboratory and launchpad.
Leaders at the Core
Amid the experimentation, the core leadership remains steady.
- Manisha Kalyan, India’s most internationally experienced footballer and the only Indian to have played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, remains the attacking focal point. Having scored against Brazil in 2021, her experience in Europe with Apollon Ladies (Cyprus) and PAOK FC (Greece) provides India with a professional standard of play and unmatched tactical exposure.
- Grace Dangmei, now a champion with FC Nasaf Karshi in Uzbekistan, brings leadership and finishing experience. Her mentorship of younger players has been highlighted by Chettri as vital in bridging the generational shift within the squad.
- In midfield, Sangita Basfore continues to anchor play with poise and reliability, her brace against Thailand in qualifying serving as a reminder of her importance in both defensive recovery and offensive transition.
Together, this trio provides the backbone of a team in transition guiding debutants while ensuring India maintains competitive balance.
Choosing Shillong as the venue wasn’t accidental. The region remains one of India’s most passionate football hubs, and hosting high-profile women’s matches here serves dual purposes: fostering regional pride and inspiring young players from the Northeast a region that currently contributes 11 members of the national squad.
The atmosphere is expected to be electric. Crowds exceeding 20,000 have historically attended major games at the JN Stadium, and the return of the Blue Tigresses promises to reignite local enthusiasm. The city’s football culture — rooted in youth development and club identity mirrors the national team’s broader narrative of rebuilding and renewal.
The Shillong friendlies will conclude with India facing Nepal on October 27, following the Iran–Nepal clash on October 24. Each fixture serves a distinct purpose:
- Iran tests India’s physical threshold and tactical discipline.
- Nepal examines attacking sharpness and psychological control especially given Nepal’s 1–0 victory over India in the 2024 SAFF Championship, a result that still lingers in collective memory.
For Chettri and his team, a convincing display against Nepal will be just as vital as the Iran test, symbolizing India’s regained dominance in South Asia.
Strategic Roadmap to 2026 and Beyond
The ultimate goal remains clear a quarterfinal finish at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, which would place India in contention for a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 playoff berth. The draw, however, is brutal. Group C pits India against Japan (Rank 7), Vietnam (37), and Chinese Taipei (42) three nations with established competitive structures.
Against Japan, India will focus on damage control and defensive organization. Against Vietnam, the target is a draw or narrow win crucial for ranking among the best third-placed teams. The decisive fixture will likely be against Chinese Taipei, where three points could keep India’s knockout hopes alive. This makes the Shillong window a foundational step the testing ground for systems that will determine whether India can navigate that path realistically.
India’s qualification for the Asian Cup is a milestone. But qualification alone isn’t enough competitive credibility must follow. That requires not just tactical refinement but structural reform: expanding the Indian Women’s League to 12 teams, ensuring mandatory player release during FIFA windows, and increasing international exposure through quality friendlies.
As the Blue Tigresses take the field in Shillong, it’s more than a friendly. It’s a statement of preparation, ambition, and belief. Against Iran, India begins not just a match but a mission one that aims to carry them all the way to Australia in 2026 and, potentially, Brazil in 2027.
India vs IR Iran : October 21, 2025 | 🕕 6:00 PM IST at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong
📺 Live on FIFA+
