AIFF Media Team

NARAINPUR, CHHATTISGARH: History will be made in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, as the first-ever champions of the AIFF U17 Women's Youth League will be crowned on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Nita Football Academy will take on HOPS FC in the final at the RKM Football Academy at 15:00 IST. The match will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube Channel.

Both sides have performed wonderfully well to reach here, and it could well be a small margin to decide the eventual winners of what is the first edition of the first youth women's club competition in the country.

Both Nita and HOPS are packed with talent and are well balanced in all four departments - goal, defence, midfield and attack.

Nita topped Group C with an unbeaten record, winning all three games comfortably. The side from Cuttack have scored 20 goals and conceded just one so far. The statistics provide a substantial picture of their attacking and defensive prowess. Deepika Kumari, with nine goals, leads the tournament's scoring charts. She has been named the Player of the Match in four of her side's five wins. But it's far from a one-player show. Khundongbam Ambalika and Niruta Baraghare, with four goals each, have been crucial contributors to Rajendro Singh Koijam's side.

Their dominance feels more remarkable when their average age is taken into account. At just 14.76 years, Nita have the fourth-youngest squad among the 16 participating teams.

While Nita have earned plaudits for their fluency in attack, HOPS are a team engineered to seize control with composure.

They are coached by Ravi Kumar Punia, who led HOPS' senior side to the IWL 2 title earlier this year. And like their senior counterparts, the U17s have also remained consistent so far. The Delhi side topped Group D with ease and have shown their mettle in the knockout stage, especially in the 3-2 comeback win over Kickstart FC.

Those were the only two goals they have conceded in their five games thus far. Both from Kickstart skipper Yashica. Both of the highest order that perhaps no defence or goalkeeper could have stopped.

HOPS goalkeeper Sonam, defenders Khushbu, Sakshi and Ranjita Hembrom have shown fine understanding and confidence to deal with the opponent’s attacks. Kafi, Sonia and Mansi Sonkar have done the balancing quite effectively in midfield. They have provided astute passes for Divya, Reema Kumari and Revika to be a constant threat in the attacking third.

On the other hand, Nita have Alisha Majhi in goal, covered by the defence line of Lipi Kishan, Ritu Badaik, Lipsha Naik and Ambalika.

Niruta, Maanya Gurumayum and Aisha Sidika have been an intelligent midfield trio keeping up a stream of passes. With the backline playing quite high, their defensive duties haven’t been much. But Deepika, the scorer of the only hat-trick in the tournament so far, has been backed up superbly to ask the questions upfront.

Both sides have sufficient bench strength as well. Substitutions at crucial junctures and the situation they find themselves in will play a key role. More so if the heavens decide to also come down in droves to ‘watch’ the final.

Everything points to an absolutely thrilling final as the teams will undoubtedly go flat out to lift the trophy and etch their name into history as the first-ever champions of the AIFF U17 Women's Youth League.

Road to the Final:

Nita FA:
Won 5-0 vs Mumbai Knights FC (Group C)
Won 4-0 vs DKR FA (Group C)
Won 6-0 vs Kickstart FC (Group C)
Won 3-1 vs Sethu FC (Quarter-final)
Won 2-0 vs Zinc FA (Semi-final)

HOPS FC:
Won 1-0 vs Krida Prabodhini Pune (Group D)
Won 1-0 vs Sethu FC (Group D)
Won 4-0 vs MGM Ambush Club (Group D)
Won 3-2 vs Kickstart (Quarter-final)
Won 2-0 vs Garhwal United FC (Semi-final)