Kolkata: “We have respect for all teams. But we are not afraid.” Pamela Conti spoke slowly, but hours before India start against Australia in the 2026 AFC under-17 Women’s Asian Cup, there was no mistaking the conviction in her voice.
Yes, the gap is big; two teams in India’s group are among the best in the world in the women’s game. And, yes, India are back at this level after 21 years. Appointed head coach in January, the former Italy international acknowledged all that in an interview to HT from Suzhou, the eastern China city hosting the 12-team finals, on Friday. “And, you can’t build a team in three months. But we can compete.”
The key to that is to try and play, enjoy the tournament and not worry about the results, said Conti who turned 44 earlier this month. There is no pressure on the team, that is all on me, said Conti.
It also means that unlike Bibiano Fernandes and his team, who are taking part in the men’s equivalent of this competition beginning in Jeddah next week, under-17 World Cup qualification is not on their minds.
“I don’t like to speak about this. It’s important to just play match to match. And then, if we qualify, we will be the most happy in the world. But for now, all we are thinking of Australia.”
India have been grouped with Australia, Japan and Lebanon. They play Japan on Tuesday and Lebanon on May 8.
The top two from each group and two of the best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. The semi-finalists will make the women’s under-17 World Cup, in Morocco later this year.
Under Conti, India won the SAFF under-19 championship with the under-17 squad. In Pokhara, Nepal, they beat the Bangladesh under-19 side 4-0 in the final last February. In March, they beat Myanmar in two friendlies and last month, Conti’s teens played three friendlies against Russia. They lost all of them but Conti has said it would help the team in the opening match.
Like Carlo Ancelotti and Tite, who had sons in coaching staff, Conti has family around. Brother Vincenzo, also a former player, is an assistant, the siblings continuing the arrangement from when they were with Venezuela women’s and under-20 teams from 2019 to 2024.
“Our relationship is professional. When I am angry with him, I am angry. And it is not because he is my brother. He knows I am his coach,” said Conti.
In 2021, Vincenzo was in charge of Venezuela against the India women’s team in an invitation tournament in Manaus. Conti was not in the technical area because she had tested positive for Covid-19.
Under Conti, India play 4-3-3, a formation she said “is the best way to recover on the pitch.” But more than formations, at this age what is important is to “understand the principle of football. We spent a lot of time with the players to teach them as much as possible.”
The squad trained for three-and-a-half months, in Bengaluru and then Gurugram before flying to China earlier this week.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), Conti said, deserved a “thank you” for arranging the friendlies and the long training camps, she said. In this, she was in agreement with Fernandes who, with the experience of three previous finals appearances, said this was the best the under-17 men had prepared.
