The Indian senior women's team continued their impressive run in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers with a dominant 4-0 victory against Timor-Leste on Sunday, June 29, 2025. The match took place at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand. With this win, India temporarily tops Group B with six points from two matches.
Manisha Kalyan starred with a brace, scoring in the 12th and 80th minutes, while Anju Tamang (58') and Lynda Kom Serto (86') also added their names to the scoresheet. The Blue Tigresses led 1-0 at half-time and displayed a commanding performance from start to finish.
India, ranked 70th in the FIFA rankings, entered the match with high confidence after their record-breaking 13-0 victory over Mongolia in their opening fixture. From the kickoff, India applied high pressure, creating opportunities through slick passing and energetic wing play. An early chance came in the 6th minute when Anju Tamang latched onto a through ball, but Timor-Leste's goalkeeper, Gorette Da Costa, made a good save.
The breakthrough came in the 12th minute after a neat one-two between Manisha and Tamang unlocked Timor-Leste's defense. Tamang released Manisha, who beat her marker with blistering pace before cutting inside and rifling a powerful left-footed shot into the net. The early goal allowed India to control the game, dictating the tempo with ease, dominating possession and constantly probing for openings. Pyari Xaxa almost made it 2-0 in the 17th minute, but her shot went just wide.
India resumed the second half with renewed intent. In the 58th minute, Sanju's cross from the left caused chaos in the Timor-Leste box, and Anju Tamang capitalized, tapping in from close range to double India's lead. Manisha then scored her second goal in the 80th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, making it 3-0. Lynda Kom Serto added the fourth goal in the 86th minute, sealing the victory for India.
Coach Crispin Chettri had noted that Timor-Leste was a better-organized team defensively than Mongolia and Iraq and preferred counter-attacks. However, India's dominance throughout the match ensured that Timor-Leste's attacking threats were nullified.
The win puts India in a strong position in Group B, with their next match against Iraq on July 2. The top team in the group will qualify for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, which will be held in Australia from March 1 to 26.
