Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh): After securing a place in the semifinals of the SAFF U-19 Championship, hosts India will look to finish atop Group B when they face Nepal on Tuesday.
India began their campaign with a dominant 8-0 win over Sri Lanka.
Nepal followed with an emphatic 5-0 victory over the same opponents on Sunday, a result that ensured semifinal qualification for both sides. A draw will be enough for India to seal the top spot in the group.
Despite the comfortable opening win, Indian head coach Bibiano Fernandes cautioned against complacency.
“Both teams had strong starts, but we don’t take anything for granted. Every match presents new challenges, and Nepal have proven to be a well-drilled and competitive team,” Fernandes said.
“We’ve done our homework—they’re organized and disciplined. For us, it’s about playing to our strengths, staying focused, and executing our plan with intensity,” he added.
Fernandes also stressed the importance of maintaining consistency and humility following a big win.
“A result like that is encouraging, but it’s crucial we stay grounded. True growth comes from treating every match with the same seriousness. No complacency, respect every opponent, and take it one game at a time—that’s the mindset we’re building.”
Nepal, led by coach Urjan Shrestha, bring a blend of experience and youth, with players from their U-17 and U-20 squads.
They were runners-up in the last SAFF U-20 Championship and semifinalists in the U-17 edition, where they lost 2-4 to India.
Their convincing performance against Sri Lanka marked Nepal’s second-biggest win in the history of SAFF men’s youth competitions.
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However, Shrestha knows the challenge against India will be far greater.
“It was tough to break Sri Lanka’s deep defense in the first half, but we managed to take control in the second. We’re satisfied with the result,” he said.
“We watched India’s match closely. They’re a strong team, and it will be a difficult game. Although we’re through to the semifinals, we’ll treat this match seriously. We’ve identified areas to improve and are looking to put in a better performance against India,” Shrestha added.
