Women’s SAFF Championship: What the coaches say

KATHMANDU: The 2024 SAFF Women’s Championship kicks off in Kathmandu on Thursday. All seven participating teams have already arrived in Kathmandu to participate in the biennial tournament.

This is the seventh edition of South Asia’s biggest women’s football tournament. India is the most successful side in the championship, winning five of the last six editions. Nepal is yet to lift the trophy despite making five final appearances. Bangladesh won the 2022 Women’s SAFF Championship defeating Nepal 3-1 in Kathmandu.

Indian Head Coach Santosh Kashyap, who took charge of the team recently, said his team has become stronger with Baladevi’s return. “I haven’t had much time to study the team or the other participants. We have had only three weeks of training, but the players are smart. Despite not having much time for strategic work, we’ve done our best to strengthen the team,” he said in a press-match press meet in Kathmandu.

Likewise, Bangladesh Coach Peter James Butler said his team is eager to win the title again. “We lost our first two games of the year, but we turned it around and found our winning rhythm. Although some of our previous champions are missing, the current players are eager to win the title again,” he said. “The most important thing is that the players understand their responsibility to represent the country and perform well.”

Pakistan Coach Adil Rizki said they were playing for the existence of Pakistan football after the ban. “We didn’t have a long preparation time and couldn’t focus much on strategy. We will do our best to make a good impression in the tournament,” he added.

The Maldives Coach Mohammad Nizam, however, said they were more excited than in the past. “Our goal is to win the title. Our focus is on the first match, and then we’ll see how far we can go,” he added.

Sri Lanka Coach Mohammad Husein Rumi said his side is ready for the championship. “We had 40 days of training, and during that time, the players improved their individual performances,” he added.

Likewise, Bhutan Coach Nicola Demaine said her side will be looking to make it at least to the semifinals. “This has been a fun journey for me. All the teams are strong, but we won’t leave any stone unturned to make it to the semifinals. Our focus is on the first game,” Demaine, who took the reins of the national team in January, said.

Nepal coach Rajendra Tamang said the national women’s league affected the national side’s preparation for the 2024 Women’s SAFF Championship. “We had only two weeks of practice, because of the ongoing national women’s league. If we had more time, we could have worked on endurance and physical aspects,” he said. “However, we have focused on the title and are ready to compete.”