Senior National Team: As India U-16 men's national team is gearing up for a challenging group in the upcoming SAFF U-16 Championship, head coach Ishfaq Ahmed feels it would be a good start for his boys in international football.
India have been drawn in Group A, alongside Nepal and Bangladesh. Arguably the top three teams in the tournament will face each other in Group A, with only two of them progressing to the semifinals.
India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on September 1, followed by their match against Nepal on September 5. The semifinals and final are set to take place on September 7 and 10, respectively.
"We are in a tough group, but that’s fine. In SAFF, you are expected to beat all the other teams in your group. You just need to go there, put your best foot forward and perform well. No doubt, Nepal and Bangladesh are good sides, but we also have quality players, and I’m sure we will do well against them," Ahmed said.
The India U-16s have been training in Srinagar over the last month, and the 40-year-old is satisfied with how the team has progressed.
"We have had a lot of help from the local administration, the J&K Sports Council, and the J&K Football Association as well, and I would like to convey my deepest thanks to them for their support. The boys have really progressed over the duration of this camp, and I’m looking forward to some good performances," he said.
"We’ve got a bunch of boys who are technically very sound and have a good understanding of football, which is always a good sign. These boys can only grow from here. Of course, they all need to keep working on their physique, and over time, we will see many of them playing in the ISL and maybe even the Senior National Team," said the 40-year-old.
While Ahmed has no doubts about the abilities of his boys, he does feel that garnering more playing experience is what will help them progress further.
"The major thing that they are lacking is playing matches at the junior international level. In fact, this is the first time that they will play at such a stage, so we also need to be a little careful. As coaching staff, we need to make them feel that they can do it.”
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The India U-16 National Team will travel to Thimphu, Bhutan on August 30 for the SAFF U-16 Championship.