Udaipur (Rajasthan) [India], October 5 (ANI): Zinc Football Academy's (ZFA) goalkeeper Sonam Ghosh has earned another major milestone in her young career after being selected in India's 23-member U-17 squad for the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers.

The 15-year-old goalkeeper has been named in the squad announced by head coach Joakim Alexandersson, as the Young Tigresses look to secure back-to-back AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifications for the very first time, as per a release. 

India has been drawn in Group E and will begin their qualification campaign against Iraq on October 5, followed by a match against Syria on October 8 before taking on host Malaysia on October 11. All three matches will be played at the MP Selayang Stadium in Selayang, Malaysia, with the Young Tigresses scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on October 2. Only the group winners will advance to the final tournament.

Sonam's selection comes after an impressive season in which she has continued to establish herself as one of the promising young goalkeepers in the country, emerging from ZFA's one-of-a-kind girls' programme. Earlier this year, she played a key role in Zinc Football Academy's successful campaign in the Rajasthan Senior Women's League, while also being part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the inaugural AIFF U-17 Women's Youth League.

The young goalkeeper has now featured in multiple India U-17 camps and was also part of the squad that travelled to Tashkent last month for two international friendly matches against Uzbekistan. The Young Tigresses then hosted two closed-door friendlies against the Philippines national team.

For Sonam, the latest selection marks another significant step in a journey that began at Zinc Football Academy's historic first girls' batch, launched in 2025. Hailing from Arambagh in West Bengal, Sonam joined ZFA as part of its residential girls' programme and has made rapid progress over the past year, moving from academy football to representing the country at the international level.

Her journey also reflects the pathway being created through Zinc Football Academy's girls' programme, where young players receive access to structured football training alongside formal education, accommodation and holistic development.

Reflecting on her journey, Sonam said, "Representing India is a dream I have always cherished, and I'm incredibly grateful to Hindustan Zinc for giving me the opportunity to begin my journey at the ZFA Academy. The academy gave me the right environment, guidance, and belief to grow as a footballer. Wearing the India jersey today is a proud moment, and I hope my journey inspires many more young girls to dream big and believe that anything is possible with hard work and the right support."

With Sonam now set to represent India in the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, her journey adds another milestone to the rapid rise of ZFA's girls' football programme. It reinforces Hindustan Zinc's commitment to creating opportunities for young girls to pursue football at the highest levels.

Since its inception in 2018, Zinc Football Academy - an AIFF 3-star-rated Academy - has consistently produced players for India's age-group teams, strengthening the nation's talent pool. Alongside goalkeeper Rajrup Sarkar, ZFA players Sahil Poonia, Prem Hansdak, and Mohammed Kaif have also represented India, marking another milestone in the academy's continued commitment to contributing to Indian football's growth. In 2025, the company launched India's first residential football academy for girls with an inaugural batch of 20 girls from rural backgrounds. (ANI)