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Chiang Mai: India opened their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Qualifiers Group B campaign with a sparkling 13-0 win over Mongolia on Monday.

Mongolia will look to bounce back against Iraq on Thursday with India facing Timor-Leste on Sunday.

India threatened as early as the first minute with Pyari Xaxa breaking through on goal after receiving a clever pass from Hemam Shilky Devi but Mongolian keeper Zambaga Tumurbat was quick off her line to clear the danger.

Mongolia nearly responded moments later when an errant pass from India’s defence gifted them a chance, however, Gankhuyag Otgonjargal squandered the opportunity after taking one touch too many inside the box.

India made their dominance count in the ninth minute after a well-weighted pass from Soumya Guguloth found Sangita Basfore in space, who nodded the ball home from close range.

The East Asian side were caught off guard again in the 20th minute when Rimpa Haldar burst down the right flank with a powerful run before picking out Guguloth in the box, who volleyed brilliantly into the top left corner.

India scored their third just before the half hour mark when Guguloth evaded her marker down the left flank before cutting back to Xaxa for a simple finish.

Xaxa was on target again for the South Asian side in the 45th minute after receiving the ball from Grace Dangmei before finishing with a long-range effort past a hapless Tumurbat.

There was no respite for Mongolia as India came charging after the break  with Xaxa completing her hat-trick, finishing off Dangmei’s cross a minute after the restart before scoring in the 53rd and 54th minutes to put India 7-0 up.

Guguloth added her second goal of the evening in the 59th minute after Tumurbat fumbled a routine stop, before Haldar added the ninth for India from close range.

Mongolia struggled to get their momentum going and conceded the 10th goal to  substitute Malavika Prasad’s strike in the 71st minute before Priyadharshini Selladurai added another two minutes later.

India furthered their advantage with strikes from Dangmei (76th) and Selladurai (86th) to complete the emphatic victory.

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