Thimpu, September 26

Nepal head coach Chhiring Lopsang said beating India was the only option in Wednesday’s match to defend the SAFF U-18 Championship title here at the Changlimithang National Stadium in Thimpu.

Nepal will wrap up the tournament with a vital match against India after Wednesday’s first match between hosts Bhutan and Bangladesh. Nepal will be looking to earn full three points from the must-win encounter to secure the title.

As four out of the five teams are in race to win the title, Nepal’s campaign will also depend on the result of the match between Bhutan and Bangladesh. As per the equation, Bhutan will win title if they beat Bangladesh as the hosts will finish on top on head-to-head results as they had defeated Nepal in the first match.

If the hosts go down to Bangladesh or play a draw, Nepal can lift the trophy with win over India. The four title contenders — India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan — are tied on six points going into the final round of the round-robin league tournament. India are at the top of the table with the superior goal difference (plus three), while Bangladesh and Nepal are behind with two plus.

Nepal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against the hosts Bhutan in their opening match before recording a 2-0 victory over the Maldives. They bounced back to beat Bangladesh 2-1 in third match of the tournament on Monday. On the other side, India went down to Bangladesh 4-3 in their first match before registering two consecutive wins against Bhutan (3-0) and Maldives (2-1). Nepal had defeated India in penalty shootout in the final of the first edition of the championship, which was played among U-19 teams at the ANFA Complex grounds.

Meanwhile, Nepal coach Lopsang said the match against India was a must-win. “We have to win tomorrow’s match (against India) at any cost. The draw is not acceptable. After losing in the first round, the remaining matches became must-win for us to win the trophy,” he added. “I am confident but that will not be enough. The boys need to give their 100 per cent.”

Lopsang, however, was a bit worried about injury and rulings. Striker Rejin Subba is unlikely to play after he suffered ligament injury in his left leg in Monday’s match against Bangladesh, while defender Ashim Bhusal and forward Prezen Tamang are suspended after receiving two yellow cards. “There are some concerns about injury because these players (Subba and Bhusal) matter much in the team. We have players in the squad and they are also of the same level,” said Nepali coach, who added that Nepal will make a couple of changes in the starting lineup.

Coach Lopsang said he would not take India lightly although they faced a defeat against Bangladesh. “India, Bangladesh and Nepal are of same level. So I am not taking it easy. Both the teams have 50-50 chance of winning the match,” said Lopsang, who was not in the mood of changing the 4-4-2 formation.

Nepal skipper Arpan Karki was confident of winning the match. “We had played with winning mentality against Bangladesh as we followed the strategy of the team. We will go with the same strategies as we have to win the match,” he insisted. Karki was not in the mood to take India lightly. “India are in good position. They are ahead in FIFA rankings compared to us and could use attacking strategy in first 15-20 minutes. So, we have to be careful and play accordingly,” he added.