Hosts Nepal take on familiar foes India in their crucial AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers Group ‘D’ match at the APF grounds in Halchowk, Kathmandu, on Friday.

Having lost their opening match 1-0 to holders Iraq on Wednesday, the match will be a do-or-die for the home team. A win over India will ignite the home team’s qualification hopes while a draw or defeat almost certainly end their hopes of making it to the finals in Malaysia next year. Only the pool winners and five best runners-up from the 10 groups are assured of qualification to the finals. 

Unlike Nepal, India made a winning start to their campaign seeing off Palestine 3-0 on Wednesday at the same venue. A win over the hosts will put them close to qualification depending on the results of other fixtures. “We have not other option but to win on Friday,” Nepal coach Sunil Shrestha said. “We will give our best and our boys are motivated as they know victory in the two remaining games will keep them very much in the race to qualification,” said Shrestha, who suffered two defeats against the same team a month earlier in Kathmandu during the Saff U-15 Championship. 

Nepal lost both the matches 2-1, first in the group stage and in the final of Saff Championship held on August 23-27. Shrestha was not worried about the past results. “Despite the recent defeats against the same squad, our boys believe that the tight nature of those games put them in good stead.” Shrestha said he was considering to field the same starting XI that played against Iraq. “Some of our players sustained minor injuries and so we will finalise our squad after assessing their status.” 

As India had to come from behind to beat Nepal in the Saff U-15 Championship final, they are not taking the home team lightly. With India set to play holders Iraq in their last match, coach Bibiano Fernandes had said on Wednesday: “The Qualifiers is completely different from Saff Championship and I think Iraq will be the tough opponent.” India are on top of the four-team standing with three points, ahead of Iraq only on goal difference. Iraq take on Palestine in the first match at the same venue.