Asian Football Confederation Taps Tajikistan for Women’s U-17 Qualifiers

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has selected Tajikistan to host the upcoming qualifying tournament for the women’s U-17 national teams, reflecting the country’s growing role in regional football development.

The first round of qualifiers will be held from October 13 to 17, 2025, simultaneously across eight countries including Tajikistan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

A total of 27 teams will compete, divided into eight groups-three groups of four teams and five groups of three teams each. The Tajikistan U-17 women’s team will aim to secure a spot in the final continental championship, with group opponents to be announced at a later date.

In addition, Tajikistan is currently hosting qualifiers for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup at the Central Republican Stadium in Dushanbe from June 29 to July 5, 2025. The national teams of Tajikistan, North Korea, Malaysia, and Palestine are competing for a single qualification slot in the tournament finals.

The 2026 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup will mark the 10th edition of this continental championship for young female players, tracing its history through prior U-16 and U-17 versions. The finals will take place in Suzhou, China, from April 30 to May 17, 2026.

For the first time, the tournament will feature 12 teams, and the traditional third-place playoff will be discontinued.

Automatic qualification for the finals has been granted to:

China (host nation)

North Korea (2024 champions)

Japan (2024 runners-up)

South Korea (2024 third place)

The remaining eight slots will be decided through the autumn 2025 qualification round.

The top four teams from the final tournament will earn the honor of representing Asia at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.