Shillong, India - The Indian Senior Women's team is set to face Nepal in a Tri-Nation Women's International Friendly, concluding the series at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong today, October 27, 2025.
The Blue Tigresses will face Nepal at 18:00 IST. For India's coach, Crispin Chettri, this match is an opportunity to bounce back from their 0-2 loss to Iran and continue preparations for the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026, while also evaluating the depth of his squad.
The Tri-Nation series, which is part of the October FIFA Women's International Match Window, is a crucial part of the Indian team's preparation for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 in Australia. The Blue Tigresses have regrouped for the first time since their historic qualification for the continental showpiece in July, when they beat Thailand in Chiang Mai.
In the opening match of the series, Iran, ranked 70th in the FIFA rankings, defeated India 2-0. Sara Didar scored twice for Iran in the 64th and 74th minutes. Following their victory against India, Iran secured the Tri-Nation title by defeating Nepal 3-0. Sara Didar, Zahra Ghanbari, and Shabnam Behesht scored for Iran.
Nepal, ranked 89th in FIFA, lost to Uzbekistan in penalties, narrowly missing out on a spot in the Women's Asian Cup.
This is the second time Shillong has hosted the Indian women's team. The last time was during the 2016 South Asian Games, where India won gold with a 4-0 victory over Nepal in the final.
The Nepali squad includes Captain Sabitra Bhandari, Anita Basnet, Anjana Rana Magar, and Anjila Tumbapo Subba. Other players in the team are Bimala BK, Deepa Shahi, Hira Kumari Bhujel, Manmaya Damai, Mina Deuba, and Nisha Thokar. Preeti Rai, Pratiksha Chaudhary, Pooja Rana, Purnima Rai, Rashmi Kumari Ghising, Rekha Paudel, Renuka Nagarkote, Sabita Rana Magar, Sajani Thokar, Sameeksha Ghimire, Saraswati Hamal, Saru Limbu and Usha Nath are also included.
