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SAFF Championship Semi-Finals Preview: Afghanistan vs Nepal – Both Teams Looking For Their First Appearance In The Final
Two of the most entertaining sides in the competition go head-to-head in the SAFF Championship semi-finals...
By Anselm Noronha
Goal.com
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
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AFGHANISTAN
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NEPAL
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Afghanistan are the front-runners in the SAFF Championship having scored the most number of goals and also being the only team to reach double figures with 12 goals. Belal Arezou is their star striker having scored five.
Yousef Kargar's firing line is powered by the sheer overlapping pace of their skipper Haroon Fakruddin while Ata Yamir Ali and Sanjar Ahmadi have also made their contribution in the attacking third.
The Lions will be boosted with their performance in the last match in the group in which they thrashed Bhutan 8-1. But they will be aware to the kind of threat that their semi-finals opponents can provide on Friday.
Nepal have looked like favourites but have however failed to capitalise on more than a handful onumber of chances in front of goal - all their attacking prowess earning them only three goals from as many matches.
The Gorkhalis will be hoping for lack of complacency, especially from Anil Gurung who has failed to deliver for his team, as they enter the semi-finals with a team who are equally dangerous while playing on the counter.
Graham Roberts will be hoping for Rabin Shrestha to be ready for action after being hospitalized following a clash of heads with a Pakistan player.
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DID YOU KNOW? |
Afghanistan have reached the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship for the first time since the tournament's inception in 1993.
- Yousef Kargar coached side's 8-1 win over Bhutan is only second to Maldives who had beaten Afghanistan 9-1 in the 2005 edition of the competition.
- Afghanistan midfielder Mustafa Madar lost four members of his family in the blast that rocked the city of Kabul on Tuesday.
- The best finish ever managed by Nepal is that of third position in 1993 when the tournament was called the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup.
- No third place match has been played since 2005.
Catch all the latest Live action and match highlights from SAFF Championship here
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
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Afghanistan 0-2 Nepal
- 21.87 %
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Afghanistan 1-2 Nepal
- 18.7 %
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Afghanistan 0-1 Nepal
- 13.93 %
| SAFF Championship (SAFF) | 09-Dec-2011 | Afghanistan 1 - Nepal 0 |
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| SAFF Championship (SAFF) | 09-Dec-2009 | Afghanistan 0 - Nepal 3 |
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Afghanistan
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| 11-Dec-2011 | India 4 - Afghanistan 0 | SAFF |
| 09-Dec-2011 | Afghanistan 1 - Nepal 0 | SAFF |
| 07-Dec-2011 | Bhutan 1 - Afghanistan 8 | SAFF |
| 05-Dec-2011 | Afghanistan 3 - Sri Lanka 1 | SAFF |
| 03-Dec-2011 | India 1 - Afghanistan 1 | SAFF |
Nepal
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| 12-Mar-2012 | Nepal 0 - Turkmenistan 3 | ACC |
| 10-Mar-2012 | Maldives 1 - Nepal 0 | ACC |
| 08-Mar-2012 | Nepal 0 - Palestine 2 | ACC |
| 09-Dec-2011 | Afghanistan 1 - Nepal 0 | SAFF |
| 06-Dec-2011 | Pakistan 1 - Nepal 1 | SAFF |
| 1 | Hameedullah Yousufzari | Goalkeeper |
| 16 | Djelaludin Sharityar | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Moqadar Faizullah | Defender |
| 18 | Haroon Fakhrudin | Defender |
| 4 | Faisal Safa | Defender |
| 19 | Masaiullah Ibrahim | Midfielder |
| 7 | Mohammad Esrafil | Midfielder |
| 17 | Ata Mohammad Yamir Ali | Midfielder |
| 8 | M Yousef Mashriqi | Midfielder |
| 10 | Sanjar Ahmadi | Striker |
| 9 | Balal Arezo | Striker |
| 18 | Ahmad Hatifie | Midfielder |
| 20 | Waheed Ahmad | Midfielder |
| 11 | Hashmat M.Jan | Midfielder |
| 16 | Kiran Kumar Limbu | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Biraj Maharjan | Defender |
| 5 | Bikash Singh Chhetri | Defender |
| 19 | Rohit Chand | Defender |
| 19 | Sagar Thapa | Defender |
| 15 | Raju Tamang | Midfielder |
| 17 | Bhola Nath Silwal | Midfielder |
| 21 | Bharat Khawas | Midfielder |
| 13 | Sandeep Rai | Midfielder |
| 11 | Ju Manu Rai | Striker |
| 9 | Santosh Shahukhala | Striker |
| 7 | Bijay Gurung | Midfielder |
| 8 | Nirajan Khadka | Midfielder |
| 10 | Anil Gurung | Striker |
| 1 | Bikash Malla | Goalkeeper |
1 
16 
2 
18 
4 
19 
7 
17 
8 
10 
9 
16 
3 
5 
19 
19 
15 
17 
21 
13 
11 
9
Results
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Sunil Chhetri
Striker India |
7 | 2 |
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Balal Arezo
Striker Afghanistan |
6 | 0 |
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C. Miranda
Midfielder India |
3 | 0 |
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Ata Mohammad Yamir Ali
Midfielder Afghanistan |
2 | 0 |
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Syed Nabi
Defender India |
2 | 0 |