Male, Oct 15 (PTI) Seven-time champions India will tackle Nepal, who’re their first-ever finalists, within the ultimate of the SAFF Championships right here on Saturday after struggling a setback at first of their marketing campaign. Saturday.
The ultimate would be the twelfth for India in 13 editions which exhibits the dominance of the Blue Tigers on this regional event. The third place end in 2003 was his worst efficiency.
The win towards Nepal will even be head coach Igor Stimac’s first trophy after taking cost of the Indian workforce in 2019. If the workforce does effectively, he’ll turn into the sixth coach to win the SAIF Championship title and the third abroad after Jiri Pesek (1993). and Stephen Constantine (2015).
However, Stimac is not going to be within the Indian workforce’s dugout on Saturday as he was proven a purple card (one other yellow card) within the Maldives match for protesting the referee’s choices.
His assistant Shanmugam Venkatesh, himself a SAIF Championship winner, will information the workforce.
India performed their first two matches in attracts towards Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, placing them in peril of being knocked out of the ultimate, however a win towards Nepal gave them a win once more.
A double strike from talisman Sunil Chhetri ensured India’s place within the ultimate as hosts Maldives misplaced 3-1.
After a serious victory over the defending and two-time champions, who had been thought of the hardest opponents within the area, the nervous nerves earlier than Maldives received the match are not any extra, however the job is just not performed but.
Nepal, 61 locations under 168th-placed India, confirmed they had been no pushovers on this event and wanted a late purpose (82nd minute) from Chhetri to beat India in a round-robin match. They have defeated Maldives in a draw with Bangladesh.
However, India can have a psychological benefit over the Himalayan nation as historic or latest statistics will present that Stimac’s aspect are the clear favorites to win the title once more.
In the three matches performed between the 2 sides up to now this yr, India have received twice and drawn as soon as.
Ahead of the SAFF Championship, India performed two worldwide pleasant matches towards Nepal in Kathmandu final month, drawing one (1-1) and profitable the opposite (2-1).
“We’re not letting complacency get in. There’s a very fine line between confidence and overconfidence and I’m keeping a close eye on us not crossing that line,” Stimac mentioned.
“Nepal is as a lot a identified adversary to us as we’re to them. We are assured of profitable the final two matches. But I repeat, we aren’t overconfident.”
️ @stimac_igor: We are assured, however not overconfident
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– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) 15 October 2021
Chhetri additionally doesn’t need any complacency from his friends. He had urged them to remain on their toes, terming Nepal as “the best team to play as a team” on this event.
“They (Nepal) cannot have an exceptional player like Ali Ashfaq (of Maldives). But as far as attack and defense are concerned, they do it as a team. They have been the best team to play as a team in this championship – they fight as a team,” mentioned Chhetri.
Work not performed but, warning @chetrisunil11 I
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– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) 15 October 2021
“We have played them thrice since September and they are extremely compact as a team and it is not going to be easy. The job is not done yet,” mentioned Chhetri, who has now surpassed the good Pele by way of variety of worldwide targets with 79 strikes in 124 matches.
“But we have gotten better and better as the games have passed, and in the final we have to do our best. We pulled up our socks after the first two games and now it is time to finish the job.”
Of the 5 targets India have scored up to now, Chhetri’s share is 4, however Manveer Singh’s strike towards Maldives – following Stimac’s feedback {that a} participant shouldn’t rating on a regular basis – has put some stress on the 37-year-old warrior. ought to cut back .
The defenders have improved after scoring a late purpose towards 10-man Bangladesh within the first match.
But Subhasish Bose, who has been described as the very best performer amongst seniors by Chhetri together with Rahul Bheke, will miss the ultimate towards Maldives after a purple card (on account of double reserving).
Apart from Farooq Choudhary, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) harm within the Nepal match, mid-fielder Brandon Fernandes can be out with a quadriceps harm.
The AIFF mentioned some gamers skilled nausea whereas returning to the workforce lodge on pace boats after their morning coaching session on the stadium on Friday.
The match will begin at 8:30 PM IST.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
