On Saturday, India’s young women’s football team brought home the SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship title after defeating Bangladesh. The Young Tigresses secured a dominant win over the defending champions by 4-0 in the finals match held at the Pokhara Rangasala in Nepal. Captain Julan Nongmaithem, Elizabed Lakra, Pearl Fernandes, and Anwita Raghuraman were the four goal scorers of the Indian U-17 women’s team. Fernandes ended her campaign in the tournament as the second-highest goal scorer with four strikes.
Earlier this year, Young Tigresses captain Nongmaithen, who led the team to their U-17 AFC Asian Cup qualification, made the first goal in the match after getting a pass from teammate Pritika Barman and set the team into the lead over Bangladesh in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Alva Devi Senjam made a valuable contribution throughout the match with her inputs and build-ups. After an hour from the first goal, she gets a penalty and takes it to Elizabeth Lakra, who takes India to 2-0.
On the other side, the defending champions seemed rattled and under pressure throughout the game as they were unable to score a single goal in the match. However, India continued to strike back, and Fernandes got the third goal for the team. Stealing the ball from Bangladesh goalkeeper Mst Yearzan Begum, Fernandes easily tucks it in the net. With Bangladesh trying to find a way back into the game, India once again dominates. Senjam brings a low cross into the box and gives it to Raghuraman, who then scores it onto the net and takes India’s lead at 4-0. Seven minutes were left in the game, but Bangladesh’s defence and attack failed over the Indian team’s decisive run.
Meanwhile, the Young Tigresses new head coach, Pamela Conti, who joined the team in their training camp in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, in January 2026, has been successful in her first assignment. The team had first defeated Nepal (1-0) and Bhutan (8-0) in the round-robin stage, followed by which they reclaimed their title from the defending champions, Bangladesh, in the final. The Indian team has brought the trophy after two years. However, they have a major tournament to face, for which they are looking strong.
India U-17 women’s performance at the U-19 SAFF Championship has served as a successful preparation for the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup with Conti in the coaching lead.
