Football
The Nepali colts face hosts Vietnam in a Group F tie in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers held in Vietnam. The game starts at 5:45 pm NST.
Having lost 3-0 in their opening match to Thailand on Wednesday, Nepali team head coach Urjen Shrestha said they would be banking on a counter-attacking strategy with a tight defence against the stronger opposition.
"Vietnam is a strong team,” he said ahead of the tie. “This does not mean we are throwing in the towel. Our plan is to stop Vietnam.”
The Nepali team are working on strengthening the defence line so they can score a goal in counter-attack, he said.
Nepal will have their task cut out, as Shrestha has urged his players to be more disciplined and hold on to their defensive line to disrupt Vietnam's passing game. Vietnam defeated Chinese Taipei 4-0 in their first match in the group.
For Nepal to have any chance against the hosts, teamwork will be the name of the game.
“We have to do everything as a team; be it defending or attacking. Individual skills do not take you too far when you are playing against tough opposition,” Shrestha added, telling his boys not to commit the same mistake that saw them crumble under the Thai pressure.
“Our defence was fractured against the Thais, especially in the second half,” he recounted. “We will take every take to avoid such mistakes in the game against Vietnam.”
Nepal team captain Prashant Laksam lamented the playing conditions for their poor showing in the opening match. “Playing in the extreme heat took its toll on us against Thailand,” he said.
Laksma, however, said that was an important lesson that the team learnt going forward. “We are committed to play better this time around.” Nepal will be looking to play a more compact game without giving away room that favours Vietnam’s passing game.
Vietnam is a stronger team than Thailand. They rely on quick short passes to break the opposition defence, Laksma echoes coach Shrestha. “If we all carry out responsibilities, they can be stopped.”
Divided into five groups of four, four groups of five, and one group of three, the Qualifiers feature 43 AFC members who will compete in the round-robin format for 16 final berths. Ten group winners will be joined by the six best runners-up in the finals.
