India U-16 Men’s Football Coach Ishfaq Ahmed anticipates positive growth as team prepares for SAFF U-16 Championship

Head coach Ishfaq Ahmed believes the upcoming SAFF U-16 Championship will be an excellent start for his team’s international football career as they prepare for a difficult group.

India was placed in Group A with Bangladesh and Nepal. Only two of what are arguably the tournament’s best three teams will advance to the semifinals after playing each other in Group A.

On September 1, India will face Bangladesh to open their campaign. On September 5, they will face Nepal. The semifinals and championship game are scheduled for September 7 and September 10, respectively.

“We are in a tough group, but that’s fine. In SAFF, you are expected to beat all the other teams in your group. You just need to go there, put your best foot forward and perform well. No doubt, Nepal and Bangladesh are good sides, but we also have quality players, and I’m sure we will do well against them,” Ahmed said.

The 40-year-old is pleased with the team’s development after a month of training with the India U-16s in Srinagar.

“We have had a lot of help from the local administration, the J&K Sports Council, and the J&K Football Association as well, and I would like to convey my deepest thanks to them for their support. The boys have really progressed over the duration of this camp, and I’m looking forward to some good performances,” he said.

“We’ve got a bunch of boys who are technically very sound and have a good understanding of football, which is always a good sign. These boys can only grow from here. Of course, they all need to keep working on their physique, and over time, we will see many of them playing in the ISL and maybe even the Senior National Team,” said the 40-year-old.

While Ahmed has no doubts about the abilities of his boys, he does feel that garnering more playing experience is what will help them progress further.

“The major thing that they are lacking is playing matches at the junior international level. In fact, this is the first time that they will play at such a stage, so we also need to be a little careful. As coaching staff, we need to make them feel that they can do it.”

The India U-16 National Team will travel to Thimphu, Bhutan on August 30 for the SAFF U-16 Championship.

-IANS