Anantapur, Narainpur to host Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls' NFC 2026-27
New Delhi, Aug 15
The 2026-27 season of the Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls' National Football Championship will be held from September 10 to October 7, 2026, in two different venues in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, will host Tier 1 for the third straight season from September 10 to 25, while Tier 2 will be held at the RK Ashram Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, from September 15 to October 7.
Tier 1 will feature 15 teams divided into three groups of four and one group of three. Tier 2 consists of 18 teams split into two groups of five and two groups of four. The group winners will progress to the semifinals, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a release on Saturday.
Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, promoted from Tier 2 at the end of last season, will compete in Tier 1 in 2026-27, replacing Goa and Arunachal Pradesh, who were relegated and will compete in Tier 2 this season.
Manipur are the defending champions, having defeated West Bengal 9-0 in last year's final in Anantapur.
Group Stage Draw of Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls' NFC 2026-27 Tier 1
Group A: Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala
Group B: West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan
Group C: Delhi, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand
Group D: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka
Group Stage Draw of Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls' NFC 2026-27 Tier 2
Group A: Chandigarh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Sports Authority of India
Group B: Telangana, Goa, Andaman & Nicobar, Pondicherry, Arunachal Pradesh
Group C: Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Nagaland
Group D: Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh
Tournament format:
Total Teams: 33 state association teams competing across both tiers.
Tier 1 Composition: 15 teams divided into three groups of four and one group of three.
Tier 2 Composition: 18 teams split into two groups of five and two groups of four.
Progression: Group winners advance directly to the semifinals.
Promotions and relegations
Promoted to Tier 1: Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh (from 2025-26 Tier 2).
Relegated to Tier 2: Goa and Arunachal Pradesh (from 2025-26 Tier 1).
— IANS
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