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The Indian U-17 women's team will face Sweden U-17 in the first match of their exposure tour to Spain on Monday, September 26. Head coach Thomas Dennerby underlined that these preparatory games will be crucial for the Young Tigresses ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
The age-group World Cup will start on October 11 and India have been drawn in Group A alongside Brazil, the USA, and Morocco.
Speaking about the preparation of the team, Dennerby stressed:
"I am happy with the preparations so far and I am proud of the girls. They have been working very hard for more than six months now – 10 to 12 sessions a week, including football, zoom, and running sessions. I think we have reached a new level."
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Previously, the girls were practicing in a training camp in Bhubaneswar after their last tour in Italy.
What will the exposure tour do to India's World Cup preparations? The gaffer averred:
"It will mostly be a 10-day camp in Spain and the focus is on the games now. Most of these girls are very young, they don’t have much experience in playing important games. It’s necessary to play against good opponents and it is crucial for us to have these games before the World Cup. Hopefully, it will boost the confidence of the girls."
"The fitness level won’t be a problem" - India U-17 women's team head coach Thomas Dennerby
The India U-17 women's team will be facing a tough challenge in the World Cup. They previously suffered three consecutive defeats in the sixth Torneo Female Football Tournament.
Speaking about the strengths and weaknesses of his side, Dennerby stated:
"We are well organized and have a good fitness level. The fitness level won’t be a problem. We have good sessions of defending so it will be hard to score on us but we still have to utilize our chances on the pitch."
"We are playing at a higher tempo and higher pace than before. Meanwhile, we are working on our attacking side as well as on some small technical details, which require attention at this moment. But we feel we are on the right track."
The match is set to kick off at 7.30 pm IST in Torremirona Relais, Spain, on Monday.
