AFC Olympic Qualifiers: Indian women ready for Myanmar challenge

The Indian women's football team will lock horns against hosts Myanmar in their third and final match of the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers first round here at the Thuwunna Stadium on Tuesday.

India played out a 1-1 draw in their opener against Nepal, however, made a stunning comeback in a resounding 7-1 victory over Bangladesh in their second game with Bala Devi getting on the scoresheet four and Kamala Devi scoring two goals.

Reflecting on the clash against Bangladesh, India's coach Maymol Rocky said that all the credit goes to the girls, who were excellent against Bangladesh.

"7-1 is a good margin of victory. We wanted to win against Nepal but couldn't, so it was important that we won against Bangladesh. The girls were excellent on the day and all the credit for the win goes to them. I hope people and fans across India will appreciate the result," Rocky said.

India have gained four points from their two matches, the same as Myanmar, who won their first match by a 5-0 margin against Bangladesh and followed it up with a surprising 1-1 stalemate against Nepal earlier on Sunday.

With the FIFA world ranking of 44, the hosts are the highest-ranked side in the group, however, they could only manage a point against 108-ranked Nepal, which has made the final match day an enticing prospect with all four teams still in the running for a spot in the second round.

Talking about the upcoming encounter, coach Rocky said that her team would be aiming for nothing less than three points. "We need to remain focused on the task at hand. A draw or a win will help us in the qualification race but we are thinking only about the win. The girls are motivated and I am sure they will go all out and give their 100 per cent against Myanmar," she said.

"If the stadium has even one Indian flag, it will definitely cheer up the girls. Myanmar, being the hosts, will have a lot of fans coming in to support them and I urge the Indians in Myanmar to come out and cheer for us. For the fans back home, I request everyone to continue giving their support and ask you to keep us in your prayers," Rocky added.