Sydney, July 29 -- The Indian women's football team has been drawn into a formidable Group C alongside continental heavyweights Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, to be held in Australia from March 1 to 21.

The draw ceremony, conducted at the Sydney Town Hall, saw Indian midfielder Sangita Basfore, who netted twice in India's final qualifier against Thailand, serve as one of the three draw assistants, along with Australia's Tameka Yallop and Korea Republic's Jeon Yu-gyeong.

Placed in Pot 4 prior to the draw, based on the latest FIFA rankings released on June 12, India (world No. 70) face a daunting group stage. Japan, Asia's highest-ranked team at world No. 7, are joined by Vietnam (No. 37) and Chinese T...