The positive results of the AFC Asian Cup next year will be the first step on her long and arduous road to a dream qualification for the FIFA World Cup, says the Indian team forward women’s football team Renu.

Last year, the President of the Indian Football Association (AIFF), Praful Patel, believed the Indian women’s team could qualify for the World Cup earlier than the men’s team, boosting the morale of the players in the country.

“Such a statement is very motivating for us. Qualifying for the World Cup is our dream. But for now, we are fully focused on the AFC Asian Cup. If we do well, it could help us perform better in the World Cup qualifying and we’ll build from there. Our goal is to get better every day, ”Renu said during an interaction.

The Haryana-born player made her senior debut for India in April as a substitute in a friendly 1-2 loss to Belarus. A few years earlier, she came off the bench to score five goals against Pakistan in the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers.

Recently, Renu scored the lone goal as the Indian team claimed a morale win over higher-ranked Chinese Taipei in a friendly in Bahrain.

Speaking about the specific areas in which the team has improved during the recent exhibition trip to UAE and Bahrain, she said: “We get great visibility in these matches. We play against strong and well teams. This experience will be very important when we play the AFC Cup because we will also face good teams there.

“This tour also helps us improve our speed and fitness ahead of the tournament.”

The Indian women were on a four-match exhibition tour and played two friendlies in the United Arab Emirates and as many in Bahrain over two weeks.

The friendlies were part of India’s preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which the country will host in January-February next year.

When asked how the team saw the performance in the last few games, she said: “More than just the results, we focus on our performances which have been good. We are just looking to gain as much experience as possible. of this tour. “

A big year awaits women’s football in India, the country also hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup, in addition to the Asian Cup.

It’s a great opportunity for the team to try to climb the ranks and advance to the next level in world football, Renu said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Indian women’s football in particular. It will provide greater motivation and invaluable experience. It will give U-17 girls the opportunity to play on an international stage with the best teams in the world.

“They will bring this experience to the senior squad for years to come. So this is a great opportunity to shape the future of Indian women’s football.”

Following the tour of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the Indian team traveled to Sweden to play against Swedish women’s Premier League teams Hammarby and DjurgÃ¥rdens IF.