Anushka Kumari has seven goals in two games, and India’s Under-17 women have beaten Syria 2-0
India’s Under-17 women have two wins and two clean sheets in Malaysia, and a game against the hosts on Sunday decides whether they reach China 2027.
Oct 8, 2026
Anushka Kumari put India ahead of Syria early on Thursday, and added a second soon after half-time. The 2-0 win in Selayang, Malaysia, is India’s second in two games at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, and Anushka has scored seven of their 16 goals.
One with each foot
The first was a left-footed lob from outside the box that dropped into the far top corner. The second came after the ball ran loose early in the second half, and she drilled it in at the near post with her right.
Syria did not score, so Joakim Alexandersson’s side have two clean sheets from two games. Munni was in goal, and the centre-back Abhista Basnett captained the side.
Fourteen against Iraq
The opener on October 5 was a very different game. India beat Iraq 14-0, a record for the Under-17 women’s team. Their biggest wins before that were 12-0 against the UAE in 2014 and against Sri Lanka in 2018.
Anushka scored five that day, and Basnett headed in two corners from Ritu Badaik. Syria were a tougher test, and the scoreline shows it.
Malaysia next, and only the winner goes through
Only the group winners qualify for the finals in China in 2027, so second place is worth nothing. India’s last game in Group E is against the hosts, Malaysia, on Sunday, October 11, with kick-off at 6:30 pm IST. Malaysia opened the group with a 1-0 win over Syria.
India are trying to qualify for a second edition in a row. They won their group against Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to reach the 2026 finals, and went out to China, 3-0, in the quarter-finals.