NEW DELHI: The road to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia was supposed to be the moment Indian women’s football would finally step out of the shadows and make the much-anticipated leap. With six World Cup spots on the line, the Blue Tigresses felt the pulse of history beneath their studs.
Instead, the campaign, with three defeats in three games, dissolved into what many may describe as a bumbling sequence of administrative gambles and subsequent on-field heartbreak, leaving the players to pick up the pieces of a shattered dream.
Sangita Basfore, a midfield general who witnessed the nightmare unfold up close while playing all three matches in the tournament earlier this month, tries to hide the profound collective sorrow behind the rhetoric of professional growth.
"None of us are satisfied with our performance because the result didn’t go our way," she told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive conversation. "The coach had high expectations from me. But personally, I feel I couldn’t perform at my best or support the team the way I should have... But playing on such a big stage against top players. That itself was a big achievement for us."
An approach that left more questions than answers
The turbulence started long before the opening whistle in Perth. In a move that left many observers baffled, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) opted for a foreigner-is-better approach just weeks before the tournament.
They demoted domestic coach Crispin Chettri, the man who had orchestrated a famous qualification victory over Thailand, to an assistant role.
In his place came Amelia Valverde, a Costa Rican tactician with two World Cup qualifications on her resume, signed to a frantic, short-term two-month contract.
The preparation looked seamless on paper as the team spent nearly 40 days in Antalya, Turkey, testing themselves against European clubs.
Team India in huddle (Photo by @IndianFootball on X)
"Honestly, our preparation was very good," Basfore recalled. "We played against teams from Ukraine and Russia... Champions League-level club teams. We won almost every match."
But as the team moved from the Mediterranean breeze of Turkey to the high-stakes pressure of Australia, the cracks began to show.
"As the matches got closer, we were getting more excited but also a bit nervous. Until we played the first match, we couldn’t really judge how our performance would be. No matter how much you prepare, on such a big stage, there’s always that uncertainty," the 29-year-old admitted.
"After the first match, we became more serious. We still regret that we feel like the World Cup opportunity slipped away from us."
A coaching carousel
With the AIFF not intending to extend Valverde’s contract, it suggests that their stop-gap solution to success has gone down the drain.
According to multiple reports, her short-lived tenure had tactical volatility, with the AIFF Technical Committee recently describing her term as "disappointing".
She cycled through three different formations in three group games. The on-field results were devastating, with three losses, zero points, and a scarring 11-0 drubbing at the hands of eventual champions Japan.
Sangita Basfore of India (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Basfore feels there was too little time for Valverde. "She is a very good coach. If she had more time with us, she could've understood us even better," the West Bengal-born midfielder told this website. "But she still tried and spoke to everyone, motivated us both on and off the field. There wasn’t really a problem."
Despite the 11-0 scoreline against Japan, Basfore refuses to believe the gap is insurmountable for Indian football.
Looking at their other opponents, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei, she insists the difference wasn't quality, but execution and perhaps a bit of luck.
"If you look at teams like Vietnam or Chinese Taipei, there isn’t a huge difference. We could have done better. We fought hard as a team. We were also unlucky; many of our shots hit the post," she admitted.
"If we had a longer camp and played more friendly matches, it would have helped."
What is ahead?
The road to redemption now leads to Nairobi.
In April 2026, the Blue Tigresses will participate in the FIFA Series, facing hosts Kenya at the Nyayo National Stadium.
It is a chance to reset against varied opposition, including Malawi and the very Australian side that hosted their recent continental misery.
If we had a longer camp and played more friendly matches, it would have helped.
Sangita Basfore, India women's national team midfielder
However, there is optimism, tempered by a plea for structural change.
For Basfore, the nightmare in Australia wasn't just about tactical formations or foreign versus domestic coaches; it was about the daily reality of the Indian game.
ALSO READ: 'You can't have random plans': Aditi Chauhan on where it went wrong for India at AFC Women's Asia Cup"Improving grassroots development and extending the women’s league duration would help a lot," she asserted.
"When players go back home, they don’t always get proper training or facilities. If the league runs longer, players will improve, and the national team will perform better."