India beat Chinese Taipei, keep AFC U20 Women’s Cup knockout hopes alive

India’s U20 women’s team kept their AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 knockout hopes alive with a well-earned 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei in their final Group C encounter on Wednesday.

The Young Tigresses delivered a composed performance, with Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam leading the charge by scoring twice (32’, 87’ penalty), while Bhumika Devi Khumukcham opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Substitute Kao Hsin netted a late consolation (90+3’) for Chinese Taipei.

This result marked India’s first win in the competition since 2004 , a significant milestone after a long wait. Despite the victory, India finished third in Group C with three points from three matches, following heavy defeats to Japan (0-6) and Australia (0-5) earlier in the tournament.

India began brightly and broke the deadlock when Sibani’s cross from the right flank evaded everyone in the box before Bhumika arrived unmarked at the far post to strike home, aided by a slight deflection. Sibani soon turned scorer herself, showing determination to outmuscle her marker, chase a loose ball, and fire a precise left-footed half-volley into the net.

With momentum on their side, India continued to press forward and created multiple attacking opportunities. Their dominance was eventually rewarded late in the game when they earned a penalty due to a handball inside the box. Sibani calmly converted from the spot in the 87th minute to seal the contest.

Chinese Taipei managed to pull one back in stoppage time, but it had little impact on the outcome.

India’s qualification fate now depends on the Group B match between Jordan and Uzbekistan . A draw in that fixture would see India progress to the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams.