Indian Football: Roadmap Ahead - How can AIFF make ISL, I-League and National Team better?

#7 Women's Football

The Indian women's team has been quite active over the last two years

Women's football has always been neglected in India, even if the women's team has a higher FIFA ranking than the men's team. The domestic structure has always been haphazard, and International activity minimal.

In order to solve this mess, it must be made mandatory for all Top division clubs to have a women's team. These women's teams must be made to participate in the current Indian Women's League (IWL), which can remain as a franchise league for the time being.

The main aim here is to give the women more games as the talent pool is not huge. Match practice is key here. The state associations must regularly hold tournaments, and the state teams must play in the national championship, as well as in the National games.

AIFF must organise more friendlies to improve the rankings and must aim to create a clear pathway for players and coaches alike. The main aim should be an Olympic qualification as of now, and World Cup qualification in the future. The team must be prepared and structure well enough to be one of the top teams in Asia.

AIFF must also focus on winning the bid for the U-20 Women's World Cup, in order to participate at the big stage, and create a core group of players for the coming 5-10 years. The immediate goal should be to break into the top 50 ranking and to have more players playing abroad professionally.