ITANAGAR, 12 May: India, having already secured a spot in the SAFF U-19 Championship semifinals, will aim to top Group B when they face Nepal at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia on 13 May.
India kicked off the tournament with an 8-0 victory over Sri Lanka on Friday. On Sunday, Nepal also thrashed the island nation, winning 5-0 to knock them out of the tournament, guaranteeing semifinal qualification for both India and themselves.
With a significant goal difference, India only need a draw to secure the top spot in group B.
“Both teams won their first games by big margins. But we don’t read too much into the scorelines. Every match is different, and Nepal have shown that they are a strong and competitive side. They were solid against Sri Lanka and created several chances,” India head coach Bibiano Fernandes, said.
“We’ve analysed their game and know they are well organised. For us, it’s about sticking to our strengths, staying focused, and giving our best on the day,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes also emphasised the importance of not getting carried away and allowing complacency to creep in after a big victory.
“It’s always important to stay grounded, especially after a win like that. These are young boys, and part of their development is to know the importance of humility and discipline. The real test is to keep the same intensity and hunger against stronger teams. The message is clear – one match at a time, no complacency, and always respect the opponent. That’s how we grow as a team,” he said.
“We’ve also been analysing Nepal’s strengths and areas where we can create chances,” Fernandes said.
The Nepal squad contains a mix of their U-20 and U-17 players from last year. They finished runners-up in the SAFF U-20 Championship and were semi-finalists in the SAFF U-17 Championship, after losing 2-4 to India.
Led by Urjan Shrestha, who was in charge of the U-20 team last year, Nepal recorded their second-biggest victory in a SAFF men’s age-group tournament, mainly thanks to a solid second-half showing against Sri Lanka.
Shrestha’s boys are now gearing up for a much tougher challenge in the shape of hosts India.
“It was difficult to break Sri Lanka down in the first half as they were defending with all 10 players behind the ball. But in the end, we did succeed, so we’re happy about that,” Shrestha said.
“We came to watch the India match. There’s a big difference. We are already in the semifinal, but we will play a tough game against India,” the Nepal coach said.
The match will be streamed live on the Sportzworkz YouTube channel. (With inputs from AIFF)
