With their first hurdle crossed in a convincing manner, India are set to take on Nepal at the SAFF Championship at the Sree Kanteerava stadium on Saturday.
On the eve of their second match, the mood of the Indian squad during their training schedule seemed relaxed and upbeat.
Such practice sessions would be a bit of an issue, head coach Igor Stimac had said during the pre-tournament interaction with the media. The lack of natural grass turf in the city meant that the team would mostly focus on tactical points and slow movements without risking injuries, he had stated.
Stimac, however, will be unavailable as he is serving a one-match ban after receiving a red card during their 4-0 win against Pakistan in the opener. In the 55-year-old Croatian’s absence Mahesh Gwali, the assistant coach, will don the head coach’s role from the dugout on Saturday.
Nepal on the other hand are set to enter the pitch following a 1-3 defeat against Kuwait two days ago. With nothing to lose, they hope to put on a more disciplined show against an in-form opponent on their home ground.
India has a 16-2 head-to-head record over Nepal. The last time the two sides met was in the 2021 edition of the same tournament when India posted a 3-0 victory.
Nepal’s head coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese, who joined their national side three months ago, sounded positive but remained realistic in his expectation coming into the tournament.
“It will be a learning experience not just for the players but for me as well. I hope this gives all of them the exposure and our players get enough visibility to be picked for the India leagues in the future,” said the Italian.
The Blue Tigers, ranked 101 currently, have the upper hand with a mix of experience and youth adopting an aggressive style of play. But as Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri made it clear no opponent in an international match can be taken lightly.
A sentiment, Sahal Abdul Samad, the midfielder from Kerala, echoed on Friday. “We have played against them previously. They fight hard and are fearless. We have prepared well and are ready,” said the 26-year-old.
Speaking about his place in the national side, Samad said: “I never rate my performance there is always room for improvement. As far as my personal goal goes, I need to start contributing,” he added.
Another important external factor making play tricky will be the weather - something the Indians got a taste of during their first match which they almost entirely played in rain. With more rain-bearing clouds expected to hover over the Bengaluru sky on Saturday, the match will make for yet another interesting outing for the fans to witness under lights.