India finished the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup winless and advanced in the group stage. (Image: AIFF) New Delhi: India’s campaign at the 2026 AFC Women’s Asia Cup in Australia ended in disappointment, with heavy defeats – such as 0-11 vs. Japan – which revealed a gap with the Asian elite. Yet beneath the score lies a more nuanced story of resilience, emerging talent and systemic loopholes.Former India wicketkeeper Aditi Chauhan reflects on a tournament that reaffirmed faith as well as raised tough questions. From Manisha Kalyan’s moment of brilliance to structural flaws in preparation, coaching continuity and domestic football, Chauhan dissects the realities shaping Indian women’s football.
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EXCLUSIVE: Where did it go wrong for India in the Women’s Asia Cup? Aditi Chauhan decodesIn this candid interview, he outlines why World Cup qualification remains possible – if the right long-term vision, investment and reforms are put in place swiftly.excerpts:Q: It wasn’t the best showing, but there were many promising signs. How would you rate the tournament? What are your things? Additi: The fact that we qualified and the way we qualified — on merit after more than 20 years (23 years) — means there’s so much talent. We were able to get there thanks to the dedication, the passion of the players. Having gone through the system and everything that female footballers go through and the challenges that we face, it’s purely about the grit and resilience of the players that we’ve been able to get there. Obviously, things could have gone better. We were also unlucky in certain situations during the matches. But I think if I take the positives out of it, it means we deserved to be there. There are real possibilities for the women’s national team to qualify for the World Cup quite quickly in the coming years.
India were ruthlessly beaten 0-11 by Japan in the second match of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2026. (Image: AIFF)
Q: The Japan game highlighted the gap that exists between where we are now and the top level of women’s football on the continent. What do you take away from the game?Additi: That the gap is huge. The gap is now 11 goals. Just bringing some of the latest results. Right now the gulf looks 11 goals. But a couple of years ago when India played an AFC qualifier against Japan, the score was 7-0.So the gap has widened and that’s where we have to ask ourselves why this happened. We were getting closer. It was like we were getting closer. But then we obviously took a few steps back. So I feel we have to ask ourselves why this happened. Q: Did the Japanese game reveal tactical gaps, structural gaps, or both?Additi: All of the above. Because we don’t really have a school system like Japan where the same style of play or philosophy of football is followed throughout the system from grassroots to elite football. That’s where you build champions. And of course the league is competitive.They failed to find out several times. It also took a while to find the right model for sustainable operations. Finally, most of the first XI or the entire Japanese team played mostly in the UK or the US or European countries. So there is no direct comparison at any level. So a lot of work needs to be done structurally, financially, infrastructurally, everything.Q: Manisha Kalyan’s attack is something that has made everyone sit up and take notice. As a former goalkeeper yourself, how do you actually save it? Aditi: Honestly, no. I think not. It came so fast. When you blinked, it was inside the post. It hit the post and bounced inside. The goalkeeper barely had time to react. It hit so cleanly and with such venom that I don’t think it was possible to get close to it to be honest. Q: Was Manisha Kalyan the biggest positive of India’s campaign? Aditi: She was one of the biggest positives, yes. 100%. But it was also exciting to see some of the youngsters who were coming up, given the opportunity, who made the most of it. I consider this to be the biggest clue that the future is bright.If we can get things right and provide the right infrastructure that is needed, the dream of a World Cup is possible.
India in action during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. (Image: AIFF)
Q: Getting the Indian Women’s League (IWL) off the ground consistently remains a challenge. The friendlies we were supposed to play before the Asia Cup didn’t happen or were against weaker sides or amateur players. What do you think about it as a player?Aditi: I agree. We dreamed of qualifying for the World Cup this time. To achieve this, you need to be realistic and have plans in action. And I agree that we should have prepared better. We could have prepared better. And for that, the league plays a very, very important role. Of course, together with international exposure. Because even the IWL right now, I don’t think the level matches the level on the international circuit or when you’re playing against other countries. So that gap is certainly also in our professional league. Hence (the need for) foreign exposures and more competitive matches. Not friendly matches, but participating in tournaments, because there you will develop a different mentality. Getting into the zone, really taking the pressure, taking responsibility for the game in a tournament is different than playing friendlies.So the way we prepare is also extremely important. But the first step is the league. Then comes the international exposure.
Manisha Kalyan in action during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. (Image: AIFF)
Q: One thing that clearly hurt was players getting ill-fitting kits before the tournament. And then just getting the right jerseys hours before the first game. How frustrating is it for the players that the administration is not that well equipped or maybe disinterested is the right word?Additi: Well, of course, as a player, if I have to imagine, it’s not the best for anybody when you prepare mentally. There are many other factors that play a role in team and player focus. So, when these things happen, a match day minus one, minus two is obviously disruptive. But honestly, I feel like there are a lot of other distractions as well.And that’s something that I think the AIFF has answered or that needs to be challenged. And that’s to find out why it happened, honestly. And how could it happen when you know when the league (tournament) is, when the matches are.But it will also be interesting to get the opinions of players who were actually there, what they felt and what the situation was like. And what actually happened because I have no idea what actually happened and why the wrong sizes were sent. So it will be interesting to get more information.
There are many other factors that play a role in team and player focus. So, when these things happen, it’s obviously disruptive.
Aditi Chauhan
Q: As things stand, the AIFF has launched an investigation into the fiasco and what happened. How is this demotivating and distracting for players?Additi: There can be more things that can be more distracting. But that’s one of the distractions you don’t want when you’re playing a tournament when you have important matches. The first match in particular was one of the most important matches. If you get off to a good start, get those three points, you’re in a comfortable position.So yeah, like I said, it’s definitely distracting. But there were other factors that I think played a part in me not securing a decent finish from the group. Q: What would be the factors if you could share? Additi: One of the things we talked about, of course, is preparation. Proper preparation was necessary. You must also have consistency and stability in leadership. You know, the coach comes a month ago. I don’t know how much impact it can have on the team and its preparation. So there are more factors and they need to be broken down.
Amelia Valverde was appointed as the coach of India’s women’s team in January. (Image: AIFF)
Q Amélie Valverde was named coach in January. She had eight weeks to bond with the team and bring her system, her style. Is it destabilizing for the team rather than providing any consistency? Additi: I think there were also many technical reasons. The trainer in charge, Mr. Crispin Chetri, did not have a professional license. So he couldn’t officially be the head coach. So that was one of the reasons.But maybe another reason is that they thought someone more experienced who had already taken the team to this level could add more value. So I don’t know what the thought process was behind that. I feel it is good to have foreign coaches in leadership and Indian coaches to learn from their experiences. But yes, there has to be consistency and time for a coach to actually implement his ideas and philosophy. So I feel that a little more time could have helped the coach. Q: Will you continue with the current settings?Additi: If I were there, I would do a thorough investigation. Really find out all the answers. Really decode everything, dissect everything that happened, everything that led up to that event. And really interview, ask people who were part of the process to learn more about the ground reality situation.And definitely learn from it and implement things from a more informed position. And of course using my experience, either as a player, as a professional in sports management or someone who works or contributes in the ecosystem. I would probably take a different approach.
Aditi Chauhan file photo.
Q: Looking at where we go from here, what immediate reforms are necessary to ensure we actually qualify for the World Cup? Additi: I have talked about this several times. I feel the league system needs to be professional. It must take place throughout the year, at least 6-7 months. More competitive matches and better pay to make it a living and players can give it 100%. And create that supportive ecosystem. I think right now there are a lot of loopholes, a lot of holes in the system.The league was stopped and played in two halves. A lot of things that of course you also need to incorporate as you go. Because there are multiple factors at play and so many different stakeholders involved.However, there must be a long-term vision and approach and an implementation plan. You can’t have random plans. I think there needs to be a better plan for women’s football if we want to realistically look at qualifying for the World Cup.Starting from the basic level to the elite development path. The league plays an important role. And then how to develop a youth player quota or group of players that can work at age group level.But also to advance with experience to a higher level. And at the same time maintain a competitive environment in the league.
File photo of former India goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan. (AIFF Media)
Q: Apart from a strong domestic league, does it make sense for players to go abroad to play?Additi: Top players who are good enough should 100% go abroad. Because like I said, the IWL standard doesn’t really match the international standard when we play countries. So if you get that experience and you get the opportunity to play abroad in a competitive environment, obviously go for it.This will 100% help you grow. This happened to me from my personal experience. I learned the most during my time at West Ham.But for the rest of the pool, who may not be at the level to play internationally, he still needs to develop in the domestic league. Which is professional and they can dedicate themselves and learn and improve.
