Kathmandu, July 27: Sitting pretty with two straight wins in groups stage, strong contenders India will clash against unpredictable Afghanistan in the 2nd match at the SAFF under-16 championship semifinal play at the Army Ground here on Sunday.
Going into the knockout stage after convincingly wins against Sri Lanka 4-1 and 2-0 versus Bangladesh in Group B, India solidified their position as a feared side in this Nepalese capital city.
The first semi final play is between hosts Nepal and Bangladesh today.
What pleased most to head coach Goutam Ghosh was that his boys in Blue have pumped in six goals, conceding only one in the two matches they played so far, but the manner in which they tasted success staying true to the principle.
Learning from mistakes and rectifying them have been the primary aim for the Indian side, which is currently taking part in the SAFF U-16 championship.
The Boys are improving with every game, Ghosh said.
“I said the other day that rectifying the mistakes we committed against Sri Lanka is the main aim. In training on the eve of our match against Bangladesh, I stressed on the weaknesses. It was heartening to see the boys not repeating the same errors and playing to the plan perfectly,” he added.
Further explaining his point, Ghosh said: “I told the boys to not lose possession cheaply. Against Bangladesh, they kept the ball much better and were passing well.”
“Football is such a Beautiful Game that with every game you discover new areas to work upon. Against Afghanistan, the aim remains the same, to work on our weaknesses,” he quipped.
The Afghans won one and drew two matches in the group stage, finishing with five points from three outings while India have logged full points from their two games.
Afghanistan are a very tough side. They play a in a conventional 4-4-2 formation, Ghosh informed. The kick-off is at 3.45pm (IST).
(UNI)
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