Ishihara insists Young Tigresses can reach Asian Cup despite India loss
KUALA LUMPUR: Head coach Takayoshi Ishihara insists Malaysia’s Under-17 women’s squad have proved that qualifying for the Asian Cup finals is well within their reach in the near future.
KUALA LUMPUR: Head coach Takayoshi Ishihara maintains the Malaysian Under-17 women's team still has a chance to reach the Asian Cup finals in the near future. The Young Tigresses were defeated 4-0 by India in Sunday's Group E decider at the Selayang Stadium, missing out on the one ticket to the finals. Despite the loss, Ishihara remained optimistic, stating that his players believed they could qualify.
He attributed India's dominance to the team's high-level match experience rather than lack of ability, emphasizing that Malaysia's young players possess talent, speed, and skills. Ishihara expressed hope that the harsh experience of losing to India would motivate the team to improve. Core players like Lim You, Keisha Adeliena, and Qaseh Riana Dafira still have time to lead the next under-17 qualification cycle.
Meanwhile, India's head coach Joakim Alexandersson set his sights beyond the 2027 China Asian Cup, aiming for qualification for the Under-17 World Cup. India finished top of Group E with a perfect record of three wins and 20 goals scored.
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