The Indian senior women’s football team maintained their positive build-up ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 with a confident 2-0 win over Russian club Zvezda-2005 Perm in an international friendly in Antalya, Turkiye.
India struck early in the contest as Anju Tamang found the back of the net in the ninth minute, giving the Blue Tigresses a deserved lead. The team controlled proceedings for much of the match before Lynda Kom Serto added a late second in the 89th minute to secure the result against a side competing in Russia’s top-flight women’s league.
The encounter marked India’s fifth preparatory fixture in Antalya as the squad fine-tunes tactics, combinations and match fitness ahead of the continental showpiece later this year. The Indian team will conclude their Turkiye leg with one final warm-up match against Romanian outfit FK Csíkszereda Miercurea Ciuc on February 7.
The squad is scheduled to depart for Australia on February 10 to continue preparations for the tournament.
India has been placed in Group C of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The Blue Tigresses will begin their campaign against Vietnam on March 4 at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. They will then face Japan on March 7, also in Perth, before taking on Chinese Taipei on March 10 in Sydney.
With preparations progressing steadily, the Indian side will look to carry this momentum into the Asian Cup as they aim to make a strong impression on the continental stage.
