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2009 SAFF Cup: Day One Preview
Former champions Sri Lanka, underachievers Pakistan, hosts Bangladesh and minnows Bhutan all are in action on the opening day....
04-Dec-2009 3:35:48 AM
The opening day of the eighth edition of the SAFF Cup
features two matches from Group B and both should be interesting.
Sri Lanka – Pakistan
The opening match of the tournament sees 1995 champions Sri Lanka taking on Pakistan, who surprisingly are still without a SAFF Cup crown. The two teams met earlier this year in the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers after being placed in the same group. The match was played at Colombo and finished in a 2-2 draw with three of the goals coming in the last eight minutes. The result helped Sri Lanka top the group and qualify for the final rounds.
Pakistan would be looking to avenge that defeat and also make a good start in the tournament after losing all three matches and crashing out of the group stage in the last edition. The Lankans can be a little unpredictable at times as they defeated higher ranked Lebanon 4-3 but suffered convincing defeats in the next three games of the 2009 Nehru Cup. But they are taking this tournament very seriously and so will be determined to make a positive start.
Both teams might be a bit cautious in the early stages but one can expect goals in this game considering the weaknesses in both sets of defences. For Sri Lanka, players like skipper Chathura Maduranga and forward Ediri Channa will have to be at their best while for Pakistan a lot will depend on captain Muhammed Essa and talented midfielder Adnan Ahmed.
With hosts Bangladesh being in the same group, the result of this match could prove to be vital so both countries will be aiming for a good result.
Bangladesh – Bhutan
The SAFF Cup returns to Bangladesh after six years so one could expect a capacity crowd at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, when the hosts take on last edition’s semi-finalists Bhutan, in their first match of the tournament.
Even though they appointed a new coach only a month before the tournament, there is no doubt that 2009 has so far been a good year for Bangladesh football as they qualified for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. Minnows Bhutan couldn’t make the most of their 2008 SAFF Cup success as they hardly played any internationals this year and fared miserably in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.
But all the pressure will be on Bangladesh as they are the hosts and sit 31 places above their opponents in the FIFA rankings. However they shouldn’t be taking anything for granted as they could only draw against Bhutan in 08 and in the end finished bottom of their group.
The strike partnership of Enamul Haque and Hasan Emily will be the key to Bangla’s game plan while Bhutan will rely heavily on the creativity of medio Passang Tshering and the pace of striker Gyeltshen.
For large periods of the game we are likely to see Bangladesh dominating the possession and Bhutan playing on the break but it should still make it a fascinating contest as the 2003 champions will be looking for a convincing win while the visitors will be hoping for a big upset.
Amoy Ghoshal
Sri Lanka – Pakistan
The opening match of the tournament sees 1995 champions Sri Lanka taking on Pakistan, who surprisingly are still without a SAFF Cup crown. The two teams met earlier this year in the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers after being placed in the same group. The match was played at Colombo and finished in a 2-2 draw with three of the goals coming in the last eight minutes. The result helped Sri Lanka top the group and qualify for the final rounds.
Pakistan would be looking to avenge that defeat and also make a good start in the tournament after losing all three matches and crashing out of the group stage in the last edition. The Lankans can be a little unpredictable at times as they defeated higher ranked Lebanon 4-3 but suffered convincing defeats in the next three games of the 2009 Nehru Cup. But they are taking this tournament very seriously and so will be determined to make a positive start.
Both teams might be a bit cautious in the early stages but one can expect goals in this game considering the weaknesses in both sets of defences. For Sri Lanka, players like skipper Chathura Maduranga and forward Ediri Channa will have to be at their best while for Pakistan a lot will depend on captain Muhammed Essa and talented midfielder Adnan Ahmed.
With hosts Bangladesh being in the same group, the result of this match could prove to be vital so both countries will be aiming for a good result.
Bangladesh – Bhutan
The SAFF Cup returns to Bangladesh after six years so one could expect a capacity crowd at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, when the hosts take on last edition’s semi-finalists Bhutan, in their first match of the tournament.
Even though they appointed a new coach only a month before the tournament, there is no doubt that 2009 has so far been a good year for Bangladesh football as they qualified for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. Minnows Bhutan couldn’t make the most of their 2008 SAFF Cup success as they hardly played any internationals this year and fared miserably in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.
But all the pressure will be on Bangladesh as they are the hosts and sit 31 places above their opponents in the FIFA rankings. However they shouldn’t be taking anything for granted as they could only draw against Bhutan in 08 and in the end finished bottom of their group.
The strike partnership of Enamul Haque and Hasan Emily will be the key to Bangla’s game plan while Bhutan will rely heavily on the creativity of medio Passang Tshering and the pace of striker Gyeltshen.
For large periods of the game we are likely to see Bangladesh dominating the possession and Bhutan playing on the break but it should still make it a fascinating contest as the 2003 champions will be looking for a convincing win while the visitors will be hoping for a big upset.
Amoy Ghoshal
Inside Goal.Com
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