A win against the Indians who are licking their wounds after the defeat to Bangladesh will put Bhutan in pole position to win the SAFF U18 Championship.
After defying all odds in their win against the tournament favorites, Nepal, Bhutan will now look to cause another upset at India’s expense. On the other hand, India will be desperately looking for the win to have any chance of winning the championship.
Today’s match at the Changlimithang promises to be a pressure cooker contest where both teams know how vital the three points are. A win for Bhutan will put them in the driving seat to lift the championship. While a win for India will throw the championship wide open with four teams still in the hunt.
With India expected to go all out for the win, Bhutanese defenders will have to be on their toes for the entire 90 minutes. Bhutan will again rely on Orgyen Wangchuk Tshering to create quick counter attacks for winger Karma Lhotshel Dorji and forward Nima Tshering to pounce on. Nima Tshering will look to put on some show and open his account for the tournament.
Things have been going perfectly for Bhutan coach Song Jun Lee that he may resist the temptation to make any changes to the squad. But to play three matches in the span of five days might be taxing for the players and we might see one or two changes to add some freshness in the Bhutanese squad. India will definitely come fit into the match given that they have played only one match since the opening day of the championship.
Meanwhile, Nepal will look to bounce back from their setback against Bhutan when they take on the Maldives at 4pm today. The Nepalese coach, Chirring Lobsang, was adamant that his team is still in the tournament despite the loss against Bhutan. Likewise, the Maldives after two consecutive losses, risks crashing out of the championship race if they are to lose today.
