The Indian women’s football team continued their preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 with a commanding 7–2 victory over Australian club side Perth Azzurri in a closed-door friendly at Macedonia Park in Perth on Monday, February 23.
The result marked another positive step in India’s build-up to the continental tournament, offering the Blue Tigresses valuable match minutes against overseas opposition less than two weeks before their opening group-stage fixture.
Despite the eventual margin of victory, India were made to work early in the contest. Perth Azzurri struck first after being awarded a penalty in the opening phase of the game, converting from the spot to take an early lead. The setback, however, did little to disrupt India’s rhythm as the visitors responded quickly through Grace Dangmei, who found the equaliser to restore parity before half-time. The teams went into the break level at 1–1, with India gradually settling into the tempo of the match after the early concession.
India emerged from the interval with renewed attacking intent and took control of proceedings soon after the restart. Dangmei added her second of the evening to hand India the lead, turning the momentum firmly in their favour. The forward’s brace set the tone for what would become a dominant second-half display from the Indian side.
Rimpa Haldar soon extended the advantage with India’s third goal of the match, capitalising on sustained pressure in the attacking third. Babina Devi Lisham added another to make it 4–1, as India began to pull away with a series of well-timed attacking moves.
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Perth Azzurri did manage to reduce the deficit with a second goal midway through the half, but the hosts were unable to contain India’s forward line in the closing stages of the contest. The Blue Tigresses added three more goals towards the end of the match to underline their superiority.
Kaviya Pakkirisamy contributed with a goal of her own, while Sangita Basfore struck twice to round off the scoring for India, sealing a comprehensive 7–2 victory.
The friendly formed part of India’s ongoing preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, where they have been drawn in Group C. The team is set to begin their campaign against Vietnam on March 4 at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. They will then face Japan at the same venue on March 7 before concluding their group-stage fixtures against Chinese Taipei on March 10 at the Western Sydney Stadium in Sydney.
With the continental tournament also serving as a pathway to qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, these preparatory fixtures carry added significance for the Indian squad as they look to fine-tune combinations and build match fitness ahead of the competition.
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The emphatic win over Perth Azzurri follows India’s earlier friendly engagements in the lead-up to the Asian Cup and provides a timely boost as they approach the final phase of their preparations in Australia.
