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Host nation India kick off their journey in the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup on January 20. The Blue Tigresses have landed in Mumbai and are in the final stages of their preparation. Head coach Thomas Dennerby believes for the Indian senior women's team, reaching the quarterfinals is a "realistic target."
The tournament presents a massive opportunity as the top five teams seal a berth in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Ahead of the tournament, Dennerby, in a virtual press conference, opened up about his expectations and targets from the tournament, saying:
"From the beginning, I have been saying that reaching the quarterfinals is our first aim. And in the quarterfinals, anything can happen as in the knockout stages all teams are under pressure. We don't want to talk about that. But definitely the quarterfinals are our our target and we also think it's a realistic target."
To prepare for the tournament, India toured South America and played friendly matches against high-ranking opponents. In the friendlies, India suffered three defeats on the trot to Brazil, Chile and Venezuela. Asked what his side learned from the games, Thomas Dennerby said:
"In Brazil, we played three consecutive games with two gap days in between. It will be the same in the AFC Asian Cup. We learned that you really need to be 100% prepared and your fitness level needs to be high. You'll also have to return to your full energy ahead of the next game."
The Swedish coach further added:
"Technically, some parts were really good in our games. We defended well for long parts of the game. But against the best teams, even a few seconds of focus loss will cost you the game. Everybody now understands the importance of staying focused for the entire game."
"We go into games to win it" - Thomas Dennerby on how the Indian Women's Team will approach the tournament
Meanwhile, India, as the host nation, have been drawn against Iran, Chinese Taipei, and China in Group A of the competition, in which a total of 12 teams are participating. Asked by Sportskeeda what he made of his Group Stage opponents, the 62-year-old head coach said:
"India will face three different teams with three different playing styles. The first game against Iran will be a really tough one for us. From what we've seen so far, they are defending very well. Iran are organized and will defend low. They will also have one striker always on the run. Even if we dominate the game, our defenders will have to be on their toes because they can have one lucky counter-attack. They're also good with set-pieces."
After Iran, our Blue Tigresses will lock horns against the Chinese Taipei on January 23. Thomas Dennerby said:
"Against Chinese Taipei, I guess we'll have a very equal game. We played against them in Bahrain and won 1-0. The team that plays their best game on the day will come away with the three points. But it's definitely a game we can win."
China are one of the top dogs in the group and are expected to pose a tough challenge for India. Compared to China's roster for the Tokyo Olympics, several experienced players have returned to their squad, including Li Ying, Zhao Lina and Li Jiayue. Asked about his assessment of the Chinese team, Dennerby said:
"China, I'll say, have a classical Asian playing style with lots of short passes, good combination plays and intense pressing. It's gonna be a tough game. But China are not at the level they were a couple of years ago when they won the tournament seven times in a row. But they're still a very good team and it's probably the toughest game for us."
Although Dennerby spoke in-depth about the various threats the three oppositions possessed, he reiterated that India won't go into games to come away with a point.
"Every time we get on the field, we're there to win the game. When we're playing we don't think, 'Today we will be happy with a point.' It's a feeling that you can have after the game depending on how it has gone. But we go into games to win it and nothing else."
