AFC U-16 C’ship Qualifiers: Nepal count on India-Iraq tie to end runners-up
Nepal take on Palestine in their last Group ‘D’ match of the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers on Sunday as the hosts eye an unlikely qualification to the finals at the APF grounds in Halchowk.
Nepal take on Palestine in their last Group ‘D’ match of the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers on Sunday as the hosts eye an unlikely qualification to the finals at the APF grounds in Halchowk.
While the winners from each pool are guaranteed a spot in next year’s finals, the five best runners-up from 10 groups will also go through. Nepal are currently third in the four-team Group ‘D’ with just one point to their name and even a victory might not suffice in taking them through. Iraq lead the table with six points and will meet India in their final match on Sunday. Even a draw in Sunday’s early game will be enough for Iraq to go through, while India will finish runners-up and open up their chances instead.
Provided India — on four points — lose on Sunday, Nepal must beat Palestine by a margin that should be enough in leapfrogging their South Asian neighbours in the standings in terms of goal difference. Nepal have minus one goal difference and India, who played a 2-2 draw against Nepal, have plus three following their 3-0 victory over Palestine in the Qualifiers’ opener. If Nepal manage to finish as unlikely runners-up in Group ‘D’, their fate will still be determined by how other runners-up fare in remaining nine pools.
“To keep our faint hopes of qualification, we have no other option but to beat Palestine in the last game. But I am afraid that it may still be insufficient for us to finish the best runners-up,” Nepal’s coach Sunil Shrestha had said after the draw over India on Friday. Making their intent clear for the last match, India coach Bibiano Fernandes said: “We will go for all three points against Iraq to ensure we finish top of the standings and qualify for the finals.”
Iraqi coach Ali Hadi Mohsin is also adamant of returning home with hundred percent winning record and didn’t care much on their status as table toppers. “We are not yet qualified and will take next match the same way we have been taking everything so far. We take all opponents as a tough ones and our next game against India will be no exception,” said Mohsin.
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