Russian Dominance: India's U17 Women's Team Falls Short in Friendly

India's U17 women's team was defeated 0-4 by Russia in the first of three friendlies in Sochi. Despite a spirited start, penalties by Dana Dobrovitskaya and Alisa Klimova, along with goals from Valeria Menyailova and Angelina Gulyayeva, sealed India's fate.

In a challenging encounter at the Matsesta Football Centre in Sochi, the Indian U17 women's football team faced a heavy 0-4 defeat at the hands of Russia. The friendly match on Saturday was the first of three, serving as a preparatory clash ahead of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026 next month.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) reported that Russia took the lead in the dying moments of the first half as Valeria Menyailova found the net in the 44th minute. The second half saw India concede two penalties, successfully converted by Dana Dobrovitskaya and Alisa Klimova in the 57th and 72nd minutes of the match, respectively.

Despite Indian players like Redima Devi Chingkhamayum showing early promise, and their attempts to resist Russian advances, it was Angelina Gulyayeva who completed the scoreline with a decisive strike in the 88th minute. Both teams will face off again on April 14 and 17, with matches available on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

(With inputs from agencies.)