Thimphu (Bhutan), Sep 27 (IANS): India will take on Nepal in the semi-final of the 2024 U17 SAFF Championship The Blue Colts eased into the last four as Group A table toppers with a perfect record of six points after beating Bangladesh (1-0) and Maldives (3-0).
Nepal, on the other hand, squeezed into the semi-final thanks to a late winner against Bhutan in their last group match, which lifted them to second place in Group B behind Pakistan, who will face Bangladesh in the second semi-final later on Saturday.
India have had ample rest between their matches so far, including three full days to prepare for their semi-final. Head coach Ishfaq Ahmed stated that the rest days for players are more about recovery and staying injury-free.
"This rest is about recovering because we are playing on artificial turf. It's not easy to play and train on turf everyday. It has its negative impacts also. We've been training mostly to recover our boys.
"It has been raining here everyday and we are stuck inside the hotel. Sometimes that can be a good thing because you spend a lot of time with each other and that helps. The best part is that there are no injuries and I am very thankful to God that all players are available for selection," said Ahmed to the AIFF Media Team.
India got the better of Nepal by 1-0 in the group stage of last year's SAFF U16 Championship, with Md Arbash scoring the lone goal in the first half. Nepal exited the tournament without a goal 12 months ago, but have looked an improved side this time around. Sujan Dangol will be one to mark for the Indian backline as the striker is the competition top-scorer with four goals, including a hat-trick over Sri Lanka and the all-important match winner against Bhutan.
"I rate Nepal as a good side. They are not afraid of playing. They have done quite well, coming from 0-1 down, showing character and beating the hosts," said Ahmed.
"Since it's a knockout match, you have to be extremely careful and take your chances. In both matches so far, we created a lot of chances but failed to make the most of them. Whether it was a good save by the goalkeeper or a missed shot, it doesn't matter. We need to convert our ball possession into goals.
"If we get an early goal against them, it will be a little bit easier for us. We wouldn't want the match to stretch because then you have to keep one eye on the defence as well. So overall, I think it's a fantastic opportunity for the boys to prove their mettle again," Ahmed added.
For Nepal, it's been a tournament of comebacks. After losing their opening game 0-1 to Pakistan, they bounced back with a 4-0 win over Sri Lanka and then came from behind to beat Bhutan 2-1. Head coach Sanoj Shrestha expressed his delight after qualifying for the semi-finals.
"We didn't have any other option than winning. We showed our winning mentality and made a good comeback," he said.
"Nepal and India are both teams with good calibre. I expect it to be a 50-50 match. We've seen the previous matches of India, and we will make some plans according to that. We hope for the best result," added Shrestha.