U-17s aim to overcome India challenge

With the SAFF U-17 Championship title in their sights, Bangladesh are aiming for a strong start against a formidable India in the tournament opener at Changlimithang Stadium in Bhutan today.

The match kicks off at 6:00pm (Bangladesh time).

A win against India would all but secure Bangladesh's place in the semifinals from Group A, which also includes Maldives.

In their most recent meeting, during last year's SAFF U-16 Championship, Bangladesh lost twice to India -- once in the group stage and again in the final. This time, the Nazmul Huda Faisal-led side are eager to reverse the trend.

"We will try to give our best against a strong India and minimise mistakes, as the team that makes fewer mistakes will come out on top," said Faisal at the pre-match press conference yesterday.

Head coach and technical director AKM Saiful Bari Titu wants to "show our quality against India".

"Playing against India brings pressure, but we have prepared accordingly. The players have worked hard so that we can overcome the pressure, because our target is to get points and show our quality against India," he said, adding that his charges would face difficulties due to the high altitude in Bhutan.