The senior Indian women's football team will be travelling to Alanya, Turkey to play three international friendlies in what will be their first outing after the Covid-19 lockdown. The team will face Serbia on February 17 followed by a match against Russia on February 19, and Ukraine on February 23. "We have a very young and talented squad at our disposal. This will be a good experience for the girls as we prepare for challenges ahead. The matches in Turkey will give us a good barometer on where our players stand in terms of being match-fit," head coach Maymol Rocky said while speaking to the-aiff.com. "This may be our first tournament in a long time. The girls are eager to prove themselves. We will be playing against European teams. It will not be easy, playing against them. But we are ready for the challenge. Playing against string European teams will help us prepare for the Asian Cup. These experiences will be vital for the girls in these two years," she added. The team has been undergoing preparation in Goa for the last two months. Maymol further said that the preparatory camp has helped everyone to get back into physical shape, while making them mentally stronger at the same time. "The two months in the camp allowed the girls to get back into shape both physically and mentally for international football," said Rocky.
Fixtures:
February 17: India vs Serbia
February 19: India vs Russia
February 23: India vs Ukraine
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Sowmiya Narayanasamy. Defenders: Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, Ngangbam Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu, Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi, Kritina Devi Thounaojam. Midfielders: Manisha, Sangita Basfore, Sumithra Kamaraj, Pyari Xaxa. Forwards: Anju Tamang, Indumathi Kathiresan, Soumya Guguloth, Dangmei Grace, Karishma Purushottam Shirvoikar, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Heigrujjam Daya Devi, Sumati Kumari.