Maldives - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on Maldives at Lokmat Times

Indian head coach Shanmugam Venkatesh stressed the importance of playing as a team in a game like football as India face Bangladesh on August 5 in the U20 SAFF final.Venkatesh mentioned that it would be a special occasion for his boys to appear in the SAFF U20 Championship at the Kalinga Stadium against Bangladesh U20 tomorrow.Both teams finished as the top two after engagements in the round-robin league."Playing in a final is always a different feeling, it's special. I myself have won 3 SAFF championships as a player and a captain, and also been in two SAFF Finals as the assistant coach of the Senior National Team. It's been a special feeling every time," said Venkatesh on the eve of the match. "We have all been telling our boys of the same experiences, and they are all looking forward to the match."While it will be a special occasion for the boys, Venkatesh did warn against complacency. "We need to make sure that we are not overwhelmed. We need to get out there and play our game, and win the match," stated Venkatesh. "Bangladesh are a good side, and they have shown just as much in our first game. We did struggle a bit in our first match, but we have found our footing and the boys are more confident now."Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Paul Smalley said that he has viewed all of India's matches, and have planned accordingly, ahead of the final."They played a very different game against the Maldives than they did against us. We have reviewed all their matches and how they change their game, and we have prepared accordingly," said Smalley."We very much understand how to expose their weaknesses, as much as they would be working on exposing ours. We wish them all the best for the game."Both teams will have one player each suspended, with Bangladesh missing Shahidul Islam, while India will be without Parthib Gogoi."We are missing Parthib in this match. But that's football. We have 23 players in the squad. We play, we win and we lose as a team. There are no individuals, and whoever is given the opportunity in his absence, it's up to them to make the chance count," Venkatesh quipped.Defender Halen Nongtdu said: "We are not overconfident. We need to stay humble, and play tomorrow's game as per the plan. We understand that we need to work together as a team against Bangladesh. Every match is a learning process for us."( With inputs from ANI )Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

MaldivesFOLLOW

Maldives, Latest News

Kathmandu, Sep 12 With a semifinal berth already secured, and after pumping in nine goals past Maldives in ... ...

Kathmandu, Sep 11 The day after scoring a record four goals against Maldives, Indian midfielder Anju Tamang admitted ... ...

Kathmandu, Sep 10 Defending champions India qualified for the semifinals of the SAFF Women's Championship 2022 with a ... ...

Addressing media persons president of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) Arun Lakhani said the event has evoked a good response ... ...

President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid on Monday lauded Indian assistance to the Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the "Travel Bubble" which saved the island's economy. ...

New Delhi, Aug 23 : The Maldivian Minister Ali Solih was stabbed on Monday afternoon by a knife-wielding individual ... ...

Mumbai, Aug 9 'Drishyam' actress Ishita Dutta and her husband Vatsal Sheth have talked about their experience of ... ...

Indian head coach Shanmugam Venkatesh stressed the importance of playing as a team in a game like football as ... ...