Draw should help Maldives make it

MARGAO, April 26: Both Maldives and Nepal claim to think and play positive. And so say caoches Solokho Vyascheslav (Maldives) and Torsten...

MARGAO, April 26: Both Maldives and Nepal claim to think and play positive. And so say caoches Solokho Vyascheslav (Maldives) and Torsten Spittler (Nepal) before their teams clash in Group B of the SAFF Coca-Cola Cup football tournament tomorrow with the knowledge that a draw would harm neither team. Split honours at the Nehru Stadium will actually help the Maldives who would go through at Sri Lanka’s expense. The Nepalese secured their place in the last four yesterday with a rousing 3-2 win over the Lankans in what was the tournament’s only thrilling match.

It would come as a surprise if Sri Lanka go through to the semi-finals, courtesy a victory by 1-0 or 2-0 or more by Nepal. Even given the impressive display by the Nepalese against Sri Lanka yesterday.

German coach Spittler has not yet decided whether to disturb a winning combination or not. But having qualified for the semis, admitted to being more relaxed than yesterday. With the Nepalese footballing community expecting a lot from the team to make up for finishing last in the previous SAFF event at home in 1997, the fomer advisor to the Bavarian Football Association must don his thinking cap when it comes to rectifying what he noticed were serious errors in defence.

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Nepal’s striker Naresh Joshi struck instant fame in his team’s opener against Sri Lanka with a hat-trick quality goals all. The feat came amid a display of verve and vivacity in the attack and mid-field that could well make Nepal the toast of the championships.

But mild cynicism may creep in if one takes note of Uzbek, Vyacheslav’s view. Not taking anything from the Nepalese, the Maldives coach explained: “The Nepalese were fresh. The Lankans had played us two days ago and were tired”.

The Uzbek felt his team would have to adapt to Nepal’s pace and ground football. The islanders will have to make do without experienced mid-fielder Abdulla Waheeda, sitting out an expulsion. But manager Ahmed Shahir feels he has players to fill in the breach.

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