SAFF U-17 Championship: Upbeat India takes on Nepal in semifinals

India has had ample rest between its matches so far, including three full days to prepare for its semifinal.

Indian team in training ahead of its semifinal clash against Nepal. | Photo Credit: AIFF MEDIA

India will take on Nepal in the semifinal of the 2024 SAFF Under 17 Championship at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu on Saturday.

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 semifinal thanks to a late winner against Bhutan in its last group match, which lifted it to second place in Group B behind Pakistan, which will face Bangladesh in the second semifinal later on Saturday.

India has had ample rest between its matches so far, including three full days to prepare for its semifinal. Head coach Ishfaq Ahmed stated that the rest days for players are more about recovery and staying injury-free.

READ | Kwame Peprah renews hope, Benali leads NorthEast United charge

“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,” said Ahmed.

India got the better of Nepal by 1-0 in the group stage of last year’s SAFF U-16 Championship, with Md. Arbash scoring the lone goal in the first half. Nepal exited the tournament without a goal 12 months ago, but has 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 its opening game 0-1 to Pakistan, it 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.

The match will be streamed live on the Sportzworkz YouTube Channel at 13:30 IST.