Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football qualifiers: India end campaign with 3-0 loss to Uzbekistan

The Indian football team ended its campaign in the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers with a 3-0 loss to the hosts Uzbekistan at the Milliy Stadium in Tashkent on Wednesday.

The defeat against Uzbekistan marked a streak of three consecutive losses for the Indian women's football team in Group C of the second round of the Olympic qualifiers.

With a 7-0 defeat against Japan and a 3-1 loss to Vietnam, India's chances of advancing to the third and final round of the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers ended.

Japan, on the other hand, secured their place in the next stage with a perfect record of three wins in as many matches along with Uzbekistan, who finished as the best runners-up from the three groups (A–C).

Kudratova Nilufar (2’) gave Uzbekistan an early lead. India did look threatening in patches but Uzbekistan’s next two goals by Lyudmila Karachik (51’, 83’) ended India’s hopes of launching a comeback.

Uzbekistan, 50th in the latest FIFA women’s football rankings, began the match with positive intent and quickly reaped the rewards when Kudratova Nilufar scored with a header following a corner kick.

World No. 61 India could have conceded more goals if not for Shreya Hooda’s multiple saves to deny the Uzbek forwards.

Dangmein Grace, Shilky Devi Hemam and Sangita Basfore kept Uzbekistan’s midfield charge in check while Bala Devi and Manisha Kalyan showed some promise in the attack. However, the scores remained unchanged at the end of the first half.

India started the second half with renewed intensity. They almost found the equaliser in the 49th minute but Manisha Kalyan’s powerful shot from the left struck the crossbar and went out for a goal-kick.

The Uzbekistan women's football team, however, doubled its lead two minutes later. A failed clearance by the Indian defence gifted Uzbekistan possession inside the box. After a couple of passes, Lyudmila Karachik struck a low shot to the left of the Indian custodian for the host’s second goal.

Despite conceding two goals, India continued to look for a response and they once again came close in the 59th minute. Anju Tamang’s strike from outside the box beat the goalkeeper on the left but missed the goal by inches.

Indian women's football team head coach Thomas Dennerby used up all five substitutions but India’s chances of pulling off a comeback seemed dead when the home team quickly stitched together a counter-attack after conceding a corner.

Lyudmila Karachik’s low shot from outside the box beat the Indian goalkeeper on her left.

The first round of the AFC Women's Olympic football qualifying tournament was played in April. India beat the Kyrgyz Republic 5-0 and 4-0 in the two-legged playoff in Bishkek to qualify for the second round.

While the Indian men’s football team has made four appearances at the Olympic Games, the Indian women’s football team is yet to make its debut at the quadrennial event.