India to play 12 friendlies as part of 83-day camp ahead of AFC Women’s Asian Cup

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has unveiled an intensive training and match calendar for the Indian Women’s National Team.

The comprehensive plan includes 83 days of national camps, 12 international friendlies, and an early start to the Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2025-26 season.

The decisions were made during a high-level meeting held on Friday, July 11, 2025, chaired by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and attended by senior officials including Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan, Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha, Director of National Teams Subrata Paul, head coach Crispin Chettri, and assistant coach Priya PV.

12 Friendlies, 30+ Matches Per Player

To ensure maximum competitive exposure, the Blue Tigresses will play 12 international friendlies and 5–7 domestic matches as part of their preparations for the Asian Cup, set to be held in Australia from March 1 to 21, 2026.

The friendlies will be spread across the three-phase, 83-day national camp, giving the coaching staff adequate time to assess and build the squad.

With the combination of club and international duties, each player is expected to feature in at least 30 matches between August 2025 and February 2026—a significant rise in match time compared to previous years.

Early IWL to Support National Team Prep

The 2025-26 season of the Indian Women’s League will be held from September 2025 to January 2026, ahead of the continental tournament. The league will feature eight teams, each playing 14 matches, and will also see participation from the India U20 women’s team, providing young players crucial exposure.

This adjusted timeline has been designed to ensure seamless integration between club and national team schedules, and to allow players enough recovery and preparation time ahead of the Asian Cup.

The AIFF will hold discussions with IWL club owners to ensure smooth player release for national duty during the camp periods. This cooperation is seen as essential to balancing club commitments with the larger goal of international success.

National Championship Postponed

To avoid fixture congestion and support uninterrupted preparation, the Senior Women’s National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy 2025-26 will be scheduled after the Asian Cup, allowing the national team to focus fully on continental success.