AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022: What are the FIFA rankings of India's group-stage opponents?

The draw for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday where 12 teams were drawn across three groups. India find themselves in Group A alongside China, Chinese Taipei, and Iran. 

The tournament kicks off on January 20, 2022, with the final set for February 6, 2022. All the matches will be played across three venues in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune. 

The 2022 tournament has been expanded to 12 teams, with three groups comprising of four teams each. The top two teams will directly qualify for the quarter-final stage, while the two best third-placed teams will also progress. 

This will be India's ninth Asian Cup appearance. This is the second time India are hosting the tournament after the 1979 edition wherein they finished runners-up to Chinese Taipei. India also finished as runners-up in 1983 after losing to hosts Thailand in the finals. 

However, this time around they have a tough challenge in the group stage as they have to face record-winners in China PR and a formidable Chinese Taipei side. But in a recent friendly in Bahrain, India, ranked 57th, managed to edge out the Chinese Taipei side 1-0, courtesy of a third-minute strike from Renu. 

Let us have a look at the FIFA rankings of the three teams and their previous best performances.