Football: Anthony Andrews named India women's U17 assistant coach

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Anthony Andrews as the assistant coach of the India U17 women's national team, with Joakim Alexandersson continuing as the head coach, on Wednesday.

Andrews, who also serves as head coach of East Bengal FC, will take up the role on a dual basis with the club and country.

"It is a great honour and privilege to be part of the India U17 Women's National Team setup. I'm grateful to the AIFF for the trust and confidence they have shown in me, and I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute to the development of the next generation of Indian footballers," Andrews said.

"Having spent a significant part of my coaching career in women's football, working across both youth and senior levels, representing the country in this capacity is a responsibility that I take with immense pride and commitment."

The current Indian Women's League (IWL) champion with East Bengal, Andrews is the most successful coach in the league's history, having won four titles.

He guided Gokulam Kerala FC to consecutive IWL titles in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before leading East Bengal FC to back-to-back championships in 2024-25 and 2025-26. He is the only coach to have won multiple IWL trophies.

Andrews has also overseen East Bengal's recent success on the continental stage. Last Sunday, he guided the club to victory in the preliminary stage of the AFC Women's Champions League 2026-27 in Malaysia, making East Bengal the first Indian women's club to qualify for the group stage in consecutive seasons.

Under his stewardship, East Bengal also became the first Indian women's club to win a match in the AFC Women's Champions League group stage last season. He also led the Moshal Girls to the SAFF Women's Club Championship title last December.

Andrews has now joined the India U17 women's team in Tashkent, where the Young Tigresses are scheduled to play two international friendly matches against Uzbekistan on August 27 and 30 as part of their preparation for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers.

The Qualifiers will be held in Malaysia from October 5 to 11, with India set to compete in Group E alongside Malaysia, Syria and Iraq.

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