Indian women to play exhibition football games against Netherlands

Indian women's football team will take on an assorted outfit from the Netherlands in two international exhibition matches at Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai.

The match in Kolhapur is to be held on Thursday at the Chhatrapati Shahu Stadium and the game at the Father Agnel's Sports Complex at Vashi, Navi Mumbai will be held on January 20, a release from the Western India Football Association (WIFA) said on Wednesday.

The All India Football Federation has organised the two matches with its affiliate WIFA, Kolhapur Sports Association and the Fr Agnel Group of Institutions.

A week-long camp was held from January 9 in Kolhapur to prepare the home country's women team for these games.

"We are very excited and happy to host both these games in our state of Maharashtra for the first time ever. Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai (Thane) are sports mad districts and we are expecting a good crowd for the game," said WIFA Secretary Souter Vaz.

"Till last year we did not have much activity in women's football. However, we included women's football in the 'Mahayudh', a youth football development tournament in Maharashtra, to activate and encourage girls to take up the sport," he added.

The matches are to kick off at 3.30 pm.