Yupia, May 15: Dominant India will look to continue their winning run and fancy their chances when they face Maldives in the semifinals of the SAFF U19 Championship 2025 here on Friday.
Nepal and Bangladesh will meet in the first semifinal on the same day.
India steamrolled both their Group B opponents Sri Lanka (8-0) and Nepal (4-0) to finish at the top of the standings and set up a clash with Maldives, who were winless but also unbeaten in Group A.
Maldives drew 2-2 in both their group matches against Bangladesh and Bhutan.
However, Maldives have shown great resolve, coming from behind in both the games to squeeze through to the semifinals.
The comeback spirit was most evident in the first match against Bangladesh, where they trailed by two goals until the 57th minute before scoring twice.Against Bhutan on Tuesday, in a match where a defeat would’ve knocked them out, they equalised in the 77th minute and took the lead in the fifth minute of injury time. Although Bhutan drew level at the death, a point was enough for Maldives to qualify.India head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, “Maldives have shown great character, in both their matches, coming from behind to draw. That shows they don’t give up easily and can hurt teams if given space.
“For us, the approach remains the same, staying focused, humble, and playing to our strengths. We’ve analysed their games, and the boys are preparing well.
“There are no second chances in knockout matches. It’s all or nothing. But the boys are prepared for it, mentally and tactically. The key is to stay calm and play with discipline.” Should the scores be level at the end of 90 minutes, the match will head straight to penalties. But if history is anything to go by, India have a perfect win record against Maldives in SAFF men’s age-group competitions, winning all nine previous contests, the latest being a 3-0 win in the SAFF U17 Championship last year.
Out of the squad from 2024, 10 India players are part of the current U19 team.It has been raining incessantly over the past two days in Itanagar and the surrounding areas, and while Fernandes and his boys are geared up to perform in any condition, adapting to the local weather hasn’t been easy for Maldives.“The rain has been quite consistent over the last few days, but we’ve managed our sessions accordingly and are ready for all kinds of conditions. We’ve focused on recovery, tactical work, and mental preparation indoors when needed,” Fernandes said.“At the end of the day, both teams play in the same conditions, so it’s about who adapts better and sticks to the plan.” (PTI)
