Prakash Eager to See Squad's Future

CommBank Young Matildas midfielder Avaani Prakash said she was "really excited" to see what the team could achieve ahead of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup 2026™.

The 19-year-old is participating in her first U-20 Asian Cup and played a big role in the team's 5-0 victory over Chinese Taipei to begin the tournament.

"We have a great bunch of girls, supported by a great bunch of staff, and they've prepared us really well for this tournament," she said.

"I know that there's a lot of belief within this group with how far we can go, and I'm really excited to see how far we'll get."

Prakash followed in her brother and father's footsteps by playing football and their support has helped lift her to this stage.

"My brother and my Dad both played football, and growing up with them, I was always around the game," she recalled.

"My Mum played netball, so I was always around a sporting family. I really enjoyed sports growing up.

"The thing with football was that it was a team sport, and I loved being around the team, playing with my friends and sharing those experiences with great people. So growing up, it was a pretty easy decision to pick what I love doing."

It has been a breakout campaign for Prakash in 2025/26. She made the move to the Central Coast Mariners after two years at Western United, and has been rewarded for her eye-catching form with 12 starts this season.

"The Mariners have really helped me grow as a footballer, and have supported that growth, especially with my match minutes," she said.

However, it's on the international stage where she is hoping to shine for the CommBank Young Matildas in this tournament.

"Being in international camps has definitely helped me as a footballer, because international football is just a different level in pace and intensity," she explained.

"The biggest difference is that we're playing games every two days in tournament football. Recovery is really important, because in the A-League, we play every weekend, so we have time to recover and prepare. But the time for that is shorter in tournaments."

This tournament is coming not long after the conclusion of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026™ that was held in Australia last month. Prakash, like many of her teammates, was inspired by what she saw from the senior national team.

"It was very inspiring watching the Matildas in their recent Asian Cup, because knowing that we'd be in that same position at U-20s level soon is really exciting - and to know that they've been there and they were on home soil, and they did so well," she said.

"So hopefully we can back that up in this tournament."

She said that her own personal goals were helping the team lift the trophy in any way that she can.

"My goals for this tournament are just to help the team in any way that I can, whether that's off the pitch or on the pitch," she said.

"We do want to come back with the trophy, and that's very important for us. I know that with every game, we're just going to focus on one game at a time. If we do that, we'll achieve that success."

AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup 2026™