India’s U‑17 women’s national football team has a new head coach ahead of the upcoming AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in China. The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) has appointed former Italy striker Pamela Conti in the role. Conti is a former player who has represented Italy’s national team and was one of the top contenders to lead the Indian team. However, the contract is yet to be finalized.
The addition to the junior team comes after Amelia Valverde was appointed as the head coach of India’s senior women’s national team, the Blue Tigresses, for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. These changes, however, reflect AIFF’s efforts to promote the growth of Indian women’s football across both junior and senior teams, and provide them with a platform to reach the global stage and participate in tournaments.
Conti’s international exposure will add value to the junior team. With 16 years of professional career as part of Italy, Spain, Sweden, Russia, and the United States, Conti has earned 90 caps and scored 30 goals during her tenure with Italy’s national team. Post-retirement, she took the coaching role, including her head coaching experience as part of the Venezuela women’s national football team. Under her leadership, the team won the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, along with some additional regional achievements.
Meanwhile, India’s U-17 women’s team had made some progress in recent times including their qualification in the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2026 scheduled to be hosted in China. Conti’s addition to the team will help the Young Tigresses get through the finals set to be hosted from April to May and face Asia’s top youth teams competing on the world stage.
The Young Tigresses have made their entry into the Asia Cup event after sealing a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan on Friday, October 17, 2025, marking India’s first-ever qualification for the tournament. The team last featured in the 2005 edition. The U-17 Women’s Asia Cup will be their first-ever continental event of that age group.
The 21st AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin from March 1 to 21, which will be played across five venues in Australia, including Perth, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. The opening game will be played in Perth. Meanwhile, the second match will be held between the Republic of Korea vs. the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Gold Coast Stadium, while the final matches will be played in Sydney, including the final game scheduled on March 21.
