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Suzhou, Suzhou: India’s journey at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 has now reached a much tougher phase as the ‘Young Tigresses’ prepare to face Japan in their second Group B match on Tuesday. The match will be played at Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Center Pitch 4 at 5:00 PM IST.

After losing 0-2 to Australia in their first match of Group B, India are now in a situation where every goal matters a lot. Goal difference is very important, and some matches on the first match day saw double-digit scores, including Japan’s 13–0 win over Lebanon. According to an AIFF press release, DPR Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 10-0 in Group C.

Earlier on Tuesday, Australia will face Lebanon in the other Group B match.

India now faces one of the most technically superior teams in the world. In the nine U17 Women’s Asian Cup tournaments played so far, Japan has reached the finals seven times and won the title four times. ‘Little Nadeshiko’ was also the champion of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2014.

Even though Japan is entering this match as a strong contender, ‘Young Tigress’ head coach Pamela Conti said that her girls will enter this match with a completely clear mind.

Pamela Conti said, “We have just finished our training, and we are very excited because we are going to play against one of the strongest teams in the world. As a coach, as well as the players, we all believe that if we want to win, we have to play a great match. But more than that, it is very important to be there, live that experience and enjoy the game. I definitely enjoy it. Will enjoy.”

India’s preparation for this tournament has been intense; Practice continued for more than three months, including visits to Myanmar and Russia. The physical challenges faced by teams like Russia and Australia have already taught the team many valuable lessons, and now the team is focused on coping with the speed and technical nuances of Japan. “The message given to the players in training has always been clear. We can’t just defend. If we allow them to have the ball without any pressure, it will be much easier for them to find spaces and create ‘one-on-one’ situations,” Conte explained.

“We have to stay strong. We know their strength. They will try to push us back as much as possible. But we have to stay forward on the pitch to show that we are there, and not make things easy for them.”

For the ‘Young Tigresses’, the emphasis is also on building a sustainable competitive mindset, no matter who the opposition is.

“Our mentality should never change. Whether you play against the best team or the lowest-ranked team, it is always about three points. It is important to have a winning mentality, and you develop this mentality only by playing such difficult matches,” Conte said.

“It’s also important for the players to be able to say in the future, ‘I played against Japan that time.’ That experience matters,” the Italian coach added.

Right-back Divani Linda spoke about the enthusiasm and optimism the team has and also stressed the need for better execution after the match against Australia.

“The feeling is great. We are very excited because this is the first time we are playing against a team like Japan. They are a strong team, but we are confident that we can also do well,” said the 17-year-old, who has scored four goals and assisted four in her young international career for India.

India’s defense remained strong for most of the match against Australia, but some individual mistakes cost the team. This is an area the team wants to work on immediately.

“We have to learn from the last match and improve and avoid repeating the mistakes we made. We are a good team, every player has skills. We may not be as strong physically, but we play well using our brains and our understanding of the game. In the last few matches (against Australia and Russia), we have conceded goals because of our own mistakes, so we have to make up for those mistakes. We have to avoid this and perform better,” said Divyaani.

The Japanese style of play, which is based on fast coordination and constant movement, requires constant concentration and technical discipline; India is specially preparing for this thing. “Mentally, we have to stay focused against a team like Japan. They play very fast, short-pass football and create chances that way. So we also have to play more on the ground, keep our passes short and stay calm,” Linda added.