Chittagong, April 1:

Nepal will take on Bhutan in the Group B opener of the AFC Challenge Cup Football Championship at MA Aziz Stadium on Sunday. Nepal has a clean record against Bhutan so far, winning all the seven international matches.

Nepal’s chief coach Shyam Thapa was hopeful for the win this time also. He said that the practice matches in Kolkata have helped them acclimatise with the local conditions.

“We played tough matches in Kolkata, which would be helpful in the tournament. We, however, should not underestimate Bhutan,” Thapa said.

According to him, skipper Hari Khadka would not be in the starting line up but indicated that the MPC veteran striker might be used in the second half.

According to Thapa, Bikash Malla will guard the post while Tashi Tsering, Sagar Thapa, Anjan KC and Lok Bandhu Gurung will be fielded in the defence line. Rajesh Shahi, Raju Tamang, Vishan Gauchan, Bijay Gurung and Pradeep Maharjan will take the midfield responsibilities whereas Basanta Thapa, who was called from Japan for the tournament, and Surendra Tamang will play in the forward line.

Coach Thapa also warned the players to take the match seriously. “The Bhutanese team also played few practice matches in Kolkata before coming here, and we should not underestimate them,” he said. Nepal is, currently, in the 175th and Bhutan is 190th in the FIFA rankings.