The Indian women’s football team will take on former World Cup runner-up Brazil for the first time ever during an international tournament later this month as part of its preparations for next year’s AFC Asian Cup.
Chile, ranked 37th in FIFA chart, and Venezuela (56th) are the other teams that the 57th-ranked Indians will face in the November 25 to December 1 tournament to be held in Manaus, Brazil. India will play the host on Nov. 25, Chile on Nov. 28 and Venezuela on Dec. 1.
World No. 7 Brazil, the 2007 World Cup runner-up and Olympics silver medallist in 2004 and 2008, is captained by six-time World Player of the Year Marta, widely considered as the greatest female footballer in the world. However, it is not yet known whether the 35-year-old will feature in this tournament.
“This will be the first time any Indian senior national team will be playing against either Brazil, Chile or Venezuela,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a release.
The exposure tour is part of the team’s preparation for the Asian Cup to be held in Mumbai and Pune from January 20.
“As the governing body, we want to provide the best platform for preparation for our women’s senior team as they prepare for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said.
“Brazil and Chile are regular World Cup teams, and playing against such opposition will help our team.”
