Chiang Mai, June 27 -- For the Blue Tigresses, the AFC Women's Asian Cup isn't only about competing against the continent's elite, but also a pathway to the FIFA Women's World Cup, according to the official website of the AIFF.

"Our target is the World Cup," echoed midfielder Sangita Basfore, as quoted from the official website of AIFF.

"The AFC qualifiers feel like World Cup qualifiers. We all want to qualify for Brazil," she added.

For the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027, the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 serves as the qualifier, with the top six teams from the tournament securing their berths in the 32-team World Cup.

The first hurdle is these AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers in Chiang Mai, where India made the perfect st...