The dynamic Indian senior women’s team squad for the Saudi Arabia tour and Olympic qualifiers comprises eight exceptionally talented women’s footballers from Manipur.
The Indian senior women’s team is gearing up for a training-cum-exposure tour to Saudi Arabia, scheduled to commence this Saturday, as they prepare for the impending AFC Women’s Olympics Qualifiers in Uzbekistan later this month. During their Saudi Arabian sojourn, the team will participate in a series of friendly matches before embarking on their journey to Uzbekistan on October 23.
Notably, in this dynamic squad, eight exceptionally talented women’s footballers are from Manipur. This impressive lineup includes Elangbam Panthoi Chanu as the goalkeeper, Loitongbam Ashalata Devi as a defender, along with Sweety Devi Ngangbam, Ranjana Chanu Sorokhaibam, Shilky Devi Hemam, and Priyangka Devi Naorem as midfielders. Adding to their firepower are Grace Dangmei and Bala Devi Ngangom, who will take up roles as forwards.
The highly anticipated return of Manipuri footballer Bala Devi to international football is generating immense excitement among fans. Despite her four-year hiatus from the sport, she retains her esteemed position as India’s leading goal-scorer, having notched an impressive 52 goals in 58 international appearances. Her invaluable experience gained from competing in European football competitions, which includes stints with the Scottish club Rangers in 2020-21 and the Spanish club Malaga in 2022-23, is expected to significantly bolster India’s prospects in the upcoming matches. Moreover, Bala Devi recently signed with Odisha FC for the Indian Women’s League (IWL) earlier this year.
Check out the full Indian Squad here:https://www.the-aiff.com/national-team/women/senior
Guiding this talented assembly as head coach is Thomas Lennart Dennerby, a distinguished Swedish football coach renowned for his impressive track record. Notably, Dennerby led Sweden to a third-place finish at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and currently serves as the head coach of the India women’s football team.
