Football

Nepal and Bhutan face off in the SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka capital Colombo on Wednesday with both the sides vying for three points from a pool B tie.

The two sides’ push for three points could not be more contrasting.

Nepal will be looking to get their campaign off to a winning start ahead of a crucial clash with India on Friday.

Nepal have reached the final of the regional youth competition in 2013, 2017 and 2019. But India have always proved to be a stumbling block as they succumbed to the same opposition on all three occasions.

This time around, however, the Nepali side appear more confident heading into the competition. 

Nepal team coach Arjen Shrestha says, “All our players are in good form. We have arrived here after a month-long preparation. I am confident of winning the title.”

The tournament began on Monday with six youth teams, divided into two groups, contesting for the silverware. Group A comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, while Nepal, Bhutan, and India are in Group B.

Top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals which will take place on September 12. The final will be on September 14.

Nepal take to the field on Wednesday with a 2-0 advantage in the head-to-head over Bhutan in the competition. They followed a 7-0 drubbing in the group stage match in 2013 with another tennis-like 6-0 scoreline in 2019.

On the other hand, Bhutan, apart from a fourth-place finish in 2017, has not had performances of note.

Having lost their opening game, Bhutan desperately needed a victory to stay in the competition. 

They suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of defending championship India and another loss will send them packing.