Bangladesh and Pakistan will face off at 3:45pm BST today at the Armed Police Forces Stadium in Kathmandu in their final Group A match at the 10th SAFF Championship, with each team hoping a win will see them through to the semi-finals.
Bangladesh and Pakistan are on one point each, having drawn with India and Nepal respectively in the second round of group matches, leaving them three points behind those same teams for the two available semi-final spots.
Consequently, a victory will not be enough to put either team through unless the Nepal-India match, which also kicks-off at 3:45pm BST at the Dasharath Rangashala Stadium, produces a winner, at which point goal-differential would determine the Group A runner-up.
However, neither team wanted to think about equations on Wednesday, with Bangladesh more focused on doing their job and beating Pakistan.
Both teams squandered 1-0 leads in injury time on Tuesday to come away with draws, which each camp bemoaned when reflecting upon the role that bad luck has played in the tournament to date.
Besides bad luck, Bangladesh coach Lodewijk De Kruif also repeatedly blamed the officials in charge of the India-Bangladesh match for the last minute heartbreak.
`I saw that the same referee [Sri Lankan Crishantha D. Perrera] was also at the game between India and Pakistan, and the Indian goalkeeper fouled a player outside the box and it should’ve been
a red card,’ an angry De Kruif said at the team hotel on Wednesday.
`In the last moments of our game against India, [they announced] three minutes of added time, but then I saw on TV, [the time was] 94 minutes and 23 seconds when they scored. For me it has nothing to do with football,’ he added.
The Dutchman warned his team not to take Pakistan lightly, suggesting that Thursday’s opponents were themselves unlucky to lose against India.
`In [Pakistan’s] first match, they could have easily beaten India by 4-1. Everybody underrated the Pakistan team, but they have a good team with mature players and are very dangerous. I think it should be a tougher match than against India,’ said De Kruif.
After the demoralising result against India, De Kruif admitted that it would be tough to motivate the players.
`It’s very difficult to motivate the players. [The match with] Nepal was a hammer to our heads, but we cannot complain about that game,’ he said.
`We have a few injuries. Defender Nasir had an injury on his head and needed three stitches. [Bangladesh captain] Mamun[ul Islam] played the last game after being injected twice. I have to find out what the situation is with my players,’ he added.
Pakistan coach Shaazad Anwar is also chalking
out his plans to take his team through to the semi-finals.
`Luck has not favoured us in the last two matches, as we conceded an own goal against India and lost our chance for victory by conceding a goal in stoppage time against Nepal,’ said the Pakistani coach.
‘Now it is our last chance to reach our destination and we want some favour from fortune.’
`Before the tournament started, we defeated Afghanistan 3-0 in Kabul. Although that was only a friendly match, we proved that we have the potential to win the title. But first we have to win [Thursday’s] match,’ he added.
There has been some apprehension that India and Nepal may both play for a draw, which would be enough to earn both teams a semi-final berth.
However, India coach Wim Koevermans rejected that possibility.
`We will play to win. We came here to retain the title and that remains our target. It doesn’t matter how we play, what
matters is whether we can become champions or not,’ he said.
Today’s match will be the 16th official match between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh have beaten Pakistan six times to date, suffering five defeats and coming away with a draw four times.
Bangladesh may find inspiration in their recent record against Pakistan, having not lost to them since the 1995 SAFF Championship. However, the last match between the teams at the 2011 SAFF Championship ended in a goalless draw, which would not be enough for either side this time around.
-With New Age input
