{"id":17110,"date":"2013-09-03T03:56:09","date_gmt":"2013-09-03T03:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=17110"},"modified":"2013-09-03T03:56:09","modified_gmt":"2013-09-03T03:56:09","slug":"saff-championship-india-gear-up-for-next-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=17110","title":{"rendered":"SAFF Championship: India gear up for \u2018next match\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SAFFKathmandu: Mission Pakistan accomplished, the relief was evident in the Dressing Room on Sunday (September 1). The Big Family was smiling again — be it old pals Gouramangi Singh and Subrata Paul discussing animatedly during the ice-bath; or Syed Rahim Nabi using his hand to explain dummies to Mohanraj Nallappan; or be it Goalkeeper Sandip Nandy shrugging his shoulders to Sunil Chhetri in a gesture of query.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Chhetri smiled as Nandy looked at him, shook his head, rubbed his fingers through his hair. Francis Fernandes, sitting next, understood what it was all about \u2013 lady luck betraying the National Captain against Pakistan. Assistant Coach Savio Medeira quipped: \u201cNext match.\u201d Chhetri nodded.<\/p>\n

Post dinner, all wrapped in a blanket while watching a Comedy show on Television, Chhetri, who stays three goals away from being India\u2019s highest-ever goalscorer, shook his head again. More than him, his teammates couldn\u2019t believe that all four of his placements missed by a whisker, that too within a span of 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s destiny. That\u2019s how a striker\u2019s life goes. On a certain day, it just doesn\u2019t go in,\u201d maintained Jeje Lalpekhlua. \u201cNext match,\u201d he reiterated what Medeira had said.
With the \u201cfirst Final\u201d won, India play Bangladesh in the \u201cnext Final\u201d on Tuesday (September 3).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our second Final,\u201d Wim Koevermans pronounced. \u201cWe are here to play five Finals and defend our Title. Bangladesh saw us play and will plan for us. They will come hard at us,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

At the Hotel Lobby, Bangladesh have been India\u2019s best friends so far. They enquire and discuss all about Indian Football — right from I-League to Odafa Okolie\u2019s transformation as the \u201cmost expensive Player\u201d of India to Indian Women\u2019s Team to the picturesque ground in Kalyani to IM Vijayan\u2019s exploits.<\/p>\n

They have a Dutch Coach too, Lodewijk de Kruif, who was once Koevermans\u2019 student in an A-Licence Course. The two exchange greetings in Dutch at the Breakfast Table from their respective tables.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a do-or-die match for us. We will play to our full strength,\u201d he states. \u201cIndia were a bit lucky against Pakistan. We know their style of play as much they know ours.\u201d
Dark clouds had threatened to deliver during Indian Team\u2019s recovery session at the Police Headquarters ground. But it just drizzled.<\/p>\n

As visiting Indian journalists rush for cover, Nirmal Chettri utters at the Official Interaction: \u201cThe win against Pakistan was a morale booster. We are now focusing on the next match. The first match of any Tournament stays crucial and we responded well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Francis Fernandes follows. \u201cWe have watched Bangladesh on Television. But we wait for the Coach to chalk out the strategy. As we play every alternate day, everyone has to take up extra responsibility and share the load.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your strategy for Bangladesh? A senior journalist from Bangladesh asks Koevermans. \u201cThey are a good technical side and have their final chance against us. But we need to focus on ourselves and there\u2019s always a scope of improvement,\u201d he quips, looking up to the clouds overhead.<\/p>\n

\u201cNepal and Bangladesh have had an extra day of rest as they played on 31st. When every other team is playing every alternate day, I think it\u2019s not fair,\u201d he pronounced.<\/p>\n

Continous rain has lashed the Valley of Kathmandu since India\u2019s Final Whistle against Pakistan. Worried, Subrata Paul, Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Raju Gaikwad and others enquire about the ground.<\/p>\n

As Sunil Chhetri walks upto the reception in the Hotel Lobby, a bubbly young kid rushes and asks for an autograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you watch India vs Pakistan?\u201d Chhetri asks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I watched it at the ground. I will come again to watch India play Bangladesh.\u201d That\u2019s the \u201cnext match\u201d which both Medeira and Jeje had referred to.<\/p>\n

The kick-off at the Armed Forces Ground in Kathmandu on Tuesday (September 3) is at IST 3.15pm.<\/p>\n

By Nilanjan Dutta
AIFF Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"SAFFKathmandu: Mission Pakistan accomplished, the relief was evident in the Dressing Room on Sunday (September 1). 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