SAFF Championship: India, Bangladesh in group showdown

Margao: In the eyes of many, it’s the final, long before the showpiece event itself.
India and Bangladesh made it to the 12-team AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia but landed in the same group at the SAFF Women’s Championship here in Goa due to international rankings. While the home team and five-time champions are ranked highest, Bangladesh, who have won the last two editions, are below Nepal.
Whatever the rankings might suggest, India and Bangladesh are clearly a notch above the rest in the SAFF Women’s Championship. Nepal would have been a contender, but without their talismanic striker Sabitra Bhandari, out injured, they haven’t looked strong enough.
If everything goes according to script, India and Bangladesh should be contesting the final later this week. First, there’s a group-stage clash to contend with at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Sunday.
“We are at that stage where we are focusing on one match at a time, so the focus is more on the group match (against Bangladesh),” said India coach Crispin Chettri. “I feel the players know the importance of not only tomorrow's match but the whole tournament. It's all about keeping them fresh, motivated and demanding more."
India demolished Maldives 11-0 in the opening game. While the goals flowed, Crispin was more concerned about the missed chances. He has had five days to finetune his squad and now expects a better performance from his side.
"It's always good to have more time to prepare for the next match. After a hectic schedule in the IWL, these three days were proper training sessions to prepare for some tactical work, maintain fitness and keep players fresh," he said.
Bangladesh were not as clinical in front of goal as their build-up play deserved, but the defending champions left nobody in doubt about their attacking intent and quality in the 4-2 win against Maldives. It was good enough to seal a semifinal spot with a game to spare, and now coach Peter Butler is keen to show the region that the scare was an aberration.
“I wouldn’t say it was a wake-up call,” said Butler. “When you play against teams like India, who will come at you, the whole complexion of the game changes. It doesn't suit our players against those who sit back and defend the six-yard box. You have to find a way, there’s no excuse. I am delighted we have progressed.
“Some of the football that we played at times was excellent. But we can play a lot better. Our final delivery has to be better; our finishing has to be better.”
Sunday's clash will not just determine the group winners but also provide a significant psychological edge heading into the knockout rounds. There are unlikely to be any surprises: India will look for an early upper-hand, Bangladesh, in the words of coach Butler, “will continue with the risk-reward game and keep you on the edge of your seats.”