With their semifinal spot already secured, India’s U17 team is set to face Maldives on Tuesday at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, aiming to top Group A in the SAFF U17 Championship. In their opening match last Friday, India, under coach Ishfaq Ahmed, defeated Bangladesh 1-0, a replay of last year’s final where Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute.
India’s qualification with a game to spare gives coach Ahmed the opportunity to rotate his squad, giving valuable game time to other players while resting some key starters from the opening match. “Well, since we have already qualified, I want to make sure the other players get some game time as well. All our players are important. There are a few niggles as well. We want to win this match and top the group,” Ahmed shared.
The Indian squad witnessed the match between Bangladesh and Maldives, which saw Bangladesh dominate early in the second half before Maldives equalized through captain Mohamed Ilan Imran in the 79th minute. Ahmed commended Maldives’ resilience, saying, “Maldives showed good character to come back in the game. Bangladesh had a lot of chances, but in these kinds of tournaments, if you want to beat every team, you have to play extremely well. This game was an example of what can happen if you get a little bit careless. So yeah, we want to get all three points and qualify as group winners.”
The current standings in Group A require Maldives to secure at least a draw to qualify for the semifinals. Bangladesh, on the other hand, needs India to win by more than one goal. A 1-0 victory for India would create a tie-breaker scenario based on disciplinary points for the second spot in the group.
The winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B in the first semifinal on September 28. India possesses a psychological edge, having defeated Maldives 8-0 in the semifinal of the SAFF U16 Championship last year at the same venue. Five of those goal-scorers – Vishal Yadav, Levis Zangminlun, Manbhakupar Malngiang, Mohammed Kaif and Md Arbash – are part of this year’s squad.
India also enjoys an advantage of two extra days of rest, having had three training sessions in Thimphu to acclimatize to the conditions. “It’s always difficult to play here. All the teams have been struggling in the high altitude (2,400 metres above sea level). But I think the Srinagar camp has helped us a lot in that sense. We had a fantastic second half against Bangladesh even though we still need to work hard, especially in our finishing. We are getting used to the weather as well, and hopefully, we will have a better day tomorrow,” said Ahmed.
Maldives coach Mohamed Adam, expressing confidence in his team’s preparedness, said, “We’ve worked very hard for the competition. I am confident in the abilities of my players. I feel they are more ready than last year. We’ve watched our opponents and we know the areas we need to work on.”
The match will be streamed live on the Sportzworkz YouTube Channel.
