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Kathmandu: On Wednesday, Pakistan and India will square up for the third time in 11 days, but this time, it will take place on a football field.
The fierce rivals will now play their first Group “A” match of the SAFF Women’s Championship at the Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu after facing each other twice in Dubai over the past eight days in the T20 Asia Cup of cricket.
Although the Indo-Pak football rivalry isn’t as famous as its cricket counterpart, all eyes will be on the encounter on Wednesday, when Pakistan’s national squad will come to the field for the first time in eight years. The tournament commences on Tuesday when hosts Nepal play Bhutan in Group “B.”
“It’s exciting to play after a long break, but it’s also a little difficult,” Pakistan head coach Adeel Rizki said during a press conference on Monday during the trophy ceremony. “We’ve worked hard to assemble our squad, and we have talented players. Pakistan is a competitive squad that plays excellent football and will battle until the end.
“We are anticipating the game on Thursday. We are all thrilled, and everyone on the team is very optimistic. Players from the United Arab Emirates and England are in our squad. We want to do well in every group stage match. Our team right now is vital.
These are “exciting times” for Pakistani football, according to captain Maria Khan, who plays in the United Arab Emirates. She and Nadia Khan, based in England, will work to uplift the players who have been out of the international spotlight since 2014.
For the past ten years, Pakistani football has been plagued by an institutional crisis inside the Pakistan Football Federation. As a result, the nation has twice faced suspensions from FIFA, the most recent of which was a 15-month ban lifted in June of this year.
The FIFA suspension that affected India ended in less than two weeks because the All India Football Federation moved quickly to resolve the issue.
Since the SAFF Women’s Championship’s founding in 2010, India has won every event, aiming for a sixth straight championship.
Suren Chettri, the head coach of India, told the media on Monday, “We are ready for the championship, and the girls are motivated to start the matches.” They are putting forth a lot of effort to protect another crown. Winning a championship is usually straightforward, but continuing the winning streak is another obstacle that must be conquered.
India has selected a formidable team that includes players like Ashalata Devi, Aditi Chauhan, and Martina Thokchom. A second player who has flown in to join the squad for the SAFF Championship is Dangmei Grace, who plays for the Uzbekistani club Nasaf Qarshi.
There was only one previous meeting between India and Pakistan during the event, which occurred in the semi-finals when the Indians defeated the Pakistanis 8-0.
Pakistan’s best-ever performance at the tournament was achieved in that particular finish, and they will need to place in the top two in a complex group that also includes Bangladesh and the Maldives if they want to repeat the achievement.
Bangladesh made it to the final in 2016, but they entered the competition high after a recent two-match series victory against Malaysia, a team with a better ranking.
Golam Rabbani Choton, the head coach of Bangladesh, said, “Our girls are ready to take each match at a time, and it is going to be a healthy competition.”
While the Maldives’ head coach, Ahmed Dunga Shareef, believes his team is in a complex group, he is prepared for the difficulties.
“We want to provide our best even in a gang of death. Shareef said we want to give it our all since we know this competition will be very contested.
Finalists who have lost four times The three teams that makeup Group “B,” including Bhutan and Sri Lanka, are led by Nepal, hoping for their first home victory.
Our training has lasted for seven weeks, according to head coach Kumar Thapa. In my opinion, we have a well-rounded squad that includes both veteran and up-and-coming players. They will work well together, and I guarantee we will play the most outstanding football possible.
Anjali Tumbapo Subba, the captain of Nepal, said she had the ambition to win with her team.
She told reporters, “Like every captain, I dream of winning gold under my captaincy.” “Our greatest strength is that, while I’m not sure whether others believe in us, our whole team does. We’re here to win, and we’ll prevail.
Bhutan’s terrible record of never having won a game in the competition’s history is something that coach Kyung Suk expressed his team’s desire to “improve on previous results.”
Due to the island nation’s economic downturn, Sri Lanka’s team had just four weeks of preparation before the competition.
