Last chance for Nepal

source: myrepublica.com

Kathmandu, 1 Nov 2009 - Nepal have slim chances of qualifying for the final round of AFC U-19 Championships after they lost two of the three qualifiers. Nepal still hope for the best.

Tajikistan have almost qualified for the final round, whereas Jordan, Nepal and Yemen are vying for the second spot. Tajikistan, till now, are on the top slot with 9 points in their coffer. Similarly, Jordan have 7 points, while Yemen with 5 and Nepal with 3 points are pitted against the champions.

Nepal, with very slim chances of qualifying, will face Jordan on Sunday. Nepal must win the match to keep qualifying chances alive. A loss or draw will sweep away Nepal´s chances of qualifying. Nepali football lovers may hope for a win, keeping the last two performances in mind. But, Nepali team must learn from their mistakes. Nepal conceded 6 goals and most of them were the results of their own mistakes. Nepal could not maintain early lead in the match against Tajikistan.

Nepal have scored 3 goals till now. Nirajan Malla scored 2 while Shiva Shrestha scored 1. But, scoring goals is not sufficient for victory; they should stop opponents from creating scoring chances. Even though Nepal conceded goals, they had an experienced defense line-up of Rohit Chand and Captain Deepak Bhusal in the last three games. But, it will not be the same on Sunday. Deepak can´t play the vital match against Jordan as he was sent off in the last match with double bookings.

Nepali Coach Raju Shakya warned players not to make silly mistakes in his briefing. “We had to pay for simple errors in previous matches”, said Shakya. “I have shown my strong concern about these issues while briefing the players.”

“Sunday´s match is a do-or-die match for us,” Shakya added, “Every player knows this fact and I hope for their hundred percent in the ground.”

The match is equally important for Jordan. Defeat or draw for them may feeble their qualifying chances. Thus, Jordan will be tough opponents for Nepal.

Sunday´s matches
Kyrgyzstan Vs Palestine - 12.00 (Dasharath Stadium)
Nepal Vs Jordan - 2.30 (Dasharath Stadium)
Yemen Vs Tajikistan - 2.00 (Halchowk Ground)

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