MARGAO, Jun 2: Five-time champions India will start overwhelming favourites against Bhutan in their semifinal clash of the SAFF Women’s Championship here on Wednesday, with the hosts eyeing a place in the title clash after an impressive group-stage campaign.
The Blue Tigresses topped Group B with six points from two matches, opening their campaign with a crushing 11-0 victory over Maldives before registering a confidence-boosting 3-0 win against defending champions Bangladesh — their first victory over the rivals in seven years.
India’s dominant display against Bangladesh underlined their title credentials, with Pyari Xaxa, Lynda Kom Serto and Malavika P finding the net in a performance that ended the neighbours’ recent hold over them in the competition.
The win ensured that India finished as group winners and set up a semifinal meeting with Group A runners-up Bhutan.
Bhutan, however, have shown they are no pushovers. The Dragon Girls pushed group winners Nepal all the way before going down 0-1 in their opening match and then did enough to secure a semifinal berth from Group A.
Their disciplined defensive structure and ability to compete against stronger opponents could make them tricky customers for the hosts.
India will rely on their attacking depth, which has already produced 14 goals in two matches, while coach Crispin Chettri would also be pleased with the defensive solidity that saw his side keep consecutive clean sheets in the group stage.
Following India’s entry into the semifinals, Chettri expressed satisfaction with his team’s conversion rate but emphasised the need for complete 90-minute dominance.
He stressed that the squad needs to maintain high physical and tactical strength consistently across the full 90 minutes.
Heading into the knockout fixtures, Chettri adopted a calm approach, expressing that he doesn’t believe in putting the girls under pressure so they can play freely.
The hosts have looked sharper with every outing and will expect their experienced campaigners to rise to the occasion in the knockout stage.
With traditional heavyweights Nepal and Bangladesh contesting the first semifinal earlier in the day, India will be keen to avoid any slip-up and move one step closer to reclaiming the title they last won in 2019. (PTI)
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