Indian women's football team return from Brazil, set camp in Kerala

New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) The Indian women's football team have returned from from Brazil after participating in the Torneio Internacional da Futebol Feminino and they started their training camp on Sunday in Kochi, Kerala for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, set to take place in the country next month.

India faced the likes of Brazil, Chile and Venezuela in Manaus, Brazil and head coach Thomas Dennerby feels it has helped the girls earn valuable experience.

"We have learned a lot during the three matches in Brazil. The biggest learning for the players was that they know the level that we are trying to reach, both technically and tactically. Another key aspect that we have concentrated on is decision making," said Dennerby from the training camp.

"For those of us who are in the technical staff, it was all about getting a good telemetry on how the players handle different kinds of pressure. It was a very important tournament for us to see where we stand against quality technical opposition," he added.

With a little over a month left for the AFC Asian Cup India 2022 to get underway in Mumbai and Pune, the coaching staff is working hard to prepare the team for both the long and the short term objectives.

"If you look at the matches in Brazil, we tried to give playing time to all of our players on the field, even though it was against oppositions that were playing at a higher level than us. We are preparing the team for both the short and the long term, and as a team, we can definitely do much better," the coach said.

For the 62-year-old Swede, the Indian women's team has shown great discipline and resilience in defence, though the passing game is something that can be further worked on.

"Our last two games (against Chile and Venezuela) were very similar. We were very disciplined and strong defensively for large parts of the games. But our weakness perhaps lies with the passing game, and that is something that we need to work on," he said.

The Indian team has set camp in Kochi, Kerala with infrastructural and logistical aid from the Government of Kerala, which is also currently hosting the Senior Women's National Football Championship.

Squad for Kerala camp:

Goalkeepers: Aditi Chauhan, Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Shreya Hooda, Sowmiya Narayanasamy, Panthoi Chanu.

Defenders: Dalima Chhibber, Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ashalata Devi, Ranjana Chanu, Michel Castanha, Manisa Panna, Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi.

Midfielders: Kamala Devi, Anju Tamang, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Karthika Angamuthu, Ratanbala Devi, Indumathi Kathiresan, Sanju, Martina Thokchom,

Forwards: Dangmei Grace, Soumya Guguloth, Manisha, Pyari Xaxa, Renu, Karishma Shirvoikar.