India secured a memorable qualification to the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 finals with a thrilling 2-1 win over hosts Thailand on the 700th anniversary of the Chiang Mai Stadium here on Friday. The win put India on top of Group B of the qualifiers with four wins from four matches.

For the first time, the Blue Tigresses have booked a ticket to the continental championship through the qualification route. Australia will host the tournament in 2026.

This will be India's first appearance at the Asian Cup since 2022, when they participated as hosts but were forced to withdraw due to a Covid outbreak in the team. The last time India qualified directly was in 2003, when qualifiers did not exist in the current format.

India were rewarded by midfielder Sangita Basfour, who scored two goals to register a memorable win. She scored the first goal in the 28th minute to put the Crispin Chettri-coached side ahead.

Thailand, who came into the match as favourites and are ranked 24 places above India in the FIFA rankings, equalised just after the break in the 47th minute through Chatchawan Rodthong.

However, Basfour restored India's lead with a goal again in the 74th minute. The visitors then kept up a resolute defence to deny Thailand any further chance to equalise.

The win put an end to India's dominance in the group stage.

They began their campaign by thrashing Mongolia 13-0, followed by a 4-0 win over Timor Leste and a 5-0 win against Iraq.

Thailand, coached by Japanese tactician Futoshi Ikeda, also put up a stellar performance, beating the same opponents 11-0, 4-0 and 7-0 respectively to set up a virtual knockout clash for the sole automatic qualification spot.

Entering the final game, both sides were tied on identical goal difference of +22, making the encounter a must-win for both.

India had never beaten Thailand in women's football before, including a narrow 0-1 loss at the Asian Games in China last year. But this time, Sangeeta and her teammates ensured history was rewritten. Qualification gives the Blue Tigresses a chance to scale new heights and set the stage for Brazil next year, with a potential first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup berth in 2027, en route to Brazil via Australia next year.