Making it to the last four is not a big deal for Nepal, the only problem is that it will be difficult to make it. Male-based coach Urjan Shrestha is optimistic.
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The U-20 SAFF Championship is the highest-level competition for South Asian men's age groups. The eighth edition is currently being held in Male, Maldives.
Nepal, which won the first two editions, last reached the final in 2024. So the challenge facing Nepal is, will Nepal reach the final in this competition?
There is reason to believe due to its good performance in the group stage. This time, Nepal was in Group 'A' and reached the semi-finals undefeated. This is the fifth consecutive time that Nepal has reached the semi-finals. Nepal has only reached the semi-finals once, in 2019.
So, entering the last four is not a big deal for Nepal, the only problem is that it is difficult to break through. Coach Urjan Shrestha, who is in Male, is optimistic. 'This time, our performance in the group stage was good. There was some problem in defense in the first match. This problem has been resolved to a large extent. We also lack some coordination in the front. We have three days to fix it and prepare for the semi-finals.'
Nepal will face Bangladesh in the first semi-final on Wednesday. India and Bhutan are facing each other in the other semi-final. Nepal defeated Bhutan 2-1 and Sri Lanka 1-0 in the matches held at the National Stadium to win its group. The match against Maldives ended in a 1-1 draw.
Nepal faced a strong challenge from the opposing team in all these matches. 'No matter how many teams there are in this tournament, all are equally equal. That is why there is a close competition,' says coach Shrestha. India and Bangladesh are also undefeated in the other group.
Defending champions India topped the group on goal difference. The final of the last edition was also played between these two teams. 'We are currently trying to analyze the Bangladeshi team. Then we will prepare the necessary strategy,' says Shrestha.
Nepal was defeated by Bangladesh in the final held in Kathmandu in 2024. Shrestha was the coach then too. In 2025, Nepal was stopped in the semi-finals and even then they had to face defeat in the match against Bangladesh.
Therefore, Shrestha believes that one has to be cautious when facing Bangladesh, but the results of the previous match are not everything. He claims that a new day will bring a new game, all possibilities are open.
The biggest problem Nepal faced since reaching Male was the heat there. It took some time to get used to the high temperature.
Coach Shrestha adds, ‘Now our players have got used to the weather in Male. All our three matches in the league stage were played in the afternoon. Coincidentally, our semi-final is also played in the afternoon. It has been easier for us to play at that time.’
