Following the remarkable improvement in Indian men’s football team, now women’s team is also making a statement that they too can climb higher to make the country proud.
Yes, the Indian women’s football team is going places! They have jumped to 57th in the FIFA rankings after pitching with some very good performances of late.
In Asia, our girls are ranked 11th. It has 1422 points under their belt as compared to 1392 in the earlier ranking.
Since January, they have played 18 matches where they won 12, drew one and lost five.
The women team toured Hong Kong, Indonesia and Turkey and has also played in the SAFF Championships, the AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round 2, besides taking part in the inaugural Hero Gold Cup international tournament in Bhubaneswar.
The team is expected to play the COTIF Cup in Spain later this month.
Head Coach Maymol Rocky also appreciated the players for the rise in the FIFA rankings. “The entire credit goes with the girls. They have worked hard for it, and we need to work harder from now on,” Maymol said.
The Indian men’s football team skipper Sunil Chhetri who is currently the second-highest goalscorer in international football among active players with 70 goals surpassing Lionel Messi said that he is “extremely proud of the girls”.
“They have been doing really well. I’m really proud of the girls … they can do wonders. I hope they keep working hard, keep doing what they are doing. I’m sure things will keep on improving,” Chhetri said.
Ashalata Devi who is AIFF Women’s Player of the Year felt “the aim should be to climb higher”.
“We are aware of our abilities. The self-belief after the exposure tours has been driving us. We need to break into the top 10 in Asia,” she said.
(With Inputs From Press Trust of India)