AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022: 18-year-old Indonesian footballer creates history ahead of the tournament

Shalika Aurelia is set to become the first Indonesian woman to play professional football in Europe, after completing a history-making transfer to Italian club Roma.

In an official statement posted by the club, Aurelia said, "(Roma) is a great place for me to learn as much as possible about Italian football and I am very eager to start playing in Serie B and give the maximum for the team."

Aurelia, a central defender has previously undertaken trials under well-known clubs – West Ham and FC Bayern. Aurelia has also been a part of the successful Indonesian squad that qualified for the Women's Asian Cup after a long wait of 30 years. She played in the first two winning matches of the tournament's qualifying rounds in Singapore.

The youngster who already has eight caps for her national team was also in the Indonesian squad for the 2020 Olympics qualifiers, where she started against Indian and Nepal.

Appearing for the first time since 1989, Indonesia is set to begin their 2022 Women's Asian Cup against 2010 champions and a strong competitor – Australia on January 21.

The 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup will begin from January 20, across three venues in India.