Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], October 21 (ANI): The Indian senior women's team will play the first of the Tri-Nation International Friendlies against IR Iran on Tuesday, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

For head coach Crispin Chettri, the match marks the beginning of a crucial preparation phase ahead of next year's AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026, and a chance to test new combinations and fresh talent, as per the AIFF website.

'After our Asian Cup qualification, this will be our first match in almost four months. We'll try to play good football and are also looking at several new players,' Chettri said in the pre-match press conference. 'We've invited a number of new faces from the Senior Nationals (Rajmata Jijabai Trophy) so that we can build a larger group of players for the future.'

Chettri expressed gratitude for the warm welcome in Shillong and the excellent facilities provided for the team's training. It marks the first time in nine years that the Blue Tigresses will play in Shillong after the 2016 South Asian Games. IR Iran and Nepal will face each other on October 24. India will wrap up the FIFA window with a clash against Nepal on October 27.

'Shillong has been very welcoming to us. We've been given excellent facilities for training and preparation. It's a great experience to play here in India after a long time, and we'll give our best for the match tomorrow,' he added.

The head coach acknowledged that IR Iran, ranked 70th in the world - seven places below India, will pose a strong challenge. The last time India and Iran met was in the 2022 Asian Cup which ended goalless in Navi Mumbai. However, that result was rendered null and void after India had to withdraw from the competition due to a COVID outbreak. In 2019, India defeated Iran 1-0 in the Gold Cup in Bhubaneswar. IR Iran are also one of the 12 teams that have qualified for next year's Asian Cup. They defeated Jordan, Bhutan and Singapore in the qualifiers in July.

'Iran are a very tricky side. They have some good, physical players, and it will definitely be a good challenge for us. It's a great opportunity to test ourselves, especially in terms of physicality. I expect a good match tomorrow,' said Chettri.

Highlighting India's development pathway, Chettri credited domestic competitions for raising standards.

'What has really helped us grow in the last two to three years is the introduction of the Indian Women's League (IWL) with home and away matches. We're also getting good young talent from competitions like the Khelo India ASMITA Leagues, Subroto Cup, and SFI Games. This gives us a larger pool of players in the younger age groups, which benefits the national setup.

'Even though we're missing some experienced players here, we take this as an opportunity to see new players. We still have four months (until the Asian Cup), so it's good to expand our pool to 25 or more players. That way, we're better prepared if injuries happen.'

Asked about India's growing ambitions to reach the World Cup, Chettri didn't hesitate to aim high.

'We'll be going to Australia to face stronger teams, but this is the time to show our strength, not our weaknesses. I think I see myself in Brazil in 2027. I'm positive about it. The players have to believe in the dream too. We have embedded that seed in our mind that we are going to the World Cup. Now it's about nurturing it through the right preparation and good friendly games.'

Senior forward Grace Dangmei, speaking ahead of the match, echoed her coach's belief, spoke words of appreciation for the U17 and U20 teams that have also qualified for their respective Asian Cup, and talked about the balance of senior and junior players in the squad.

'It's true that the younger teams have done really well. As senior players, we have a lot of responsibility, not only to perform but also to guide the juniors. At the same time, we also learn a lot from them. There's always pressure on senior players to set standards and perform, but that's what keeps us improving,' said the 29-year-old. (ANI)