U-20 girls take on Bhutan in SAFF

Dhaka, February 2

India face Bhutan in their opening match of the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship here tomorrow, with the team hoping to clinch the title in the inaugural edition.

Hosts Bangladesh and Nepal are the other teams in the tournament. After a four-team round-robin, the top two teams will play the final next Thursday. India take on Bangladesh on Sunday and Nepal on Tuesday.

India head coach Maymol Rocky stressed the importance of having a mix of experienced and young players in the squad, including those who have played in the senior team already.

“We have a mixture of youth and experience in our team, players that have played at the senior level as well, so I am sure the girls will give their 100 per cent and the results will follow,” Rocky said.

The team is mainly made up of players who played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year. When asked about the opposition teams in the tournament, she said: “Bhutan are a good side, as are Nepal. Bangladesh have been doing brilliantly in the last few years, and they are definitely the team to watch out for. But if we give it our best shot, we can overcome all obstacles.”