Lanka-Maldives match always a pressure game: Lankan skipper
Friday, 11 December 2009
Maldives have three good strikers but Sri Lanka have four defenders to restrict them, Lankan skipper Chathcira Maduranga Weerasinghe said Thursday ahead of the first semifinal of the SAFF Championship between the two island nations on Friday at 4 pm, reports UNB.
The other semifinal between two traditional soccer foes of the region -Bangladesh and India - will take place at 7:30 pm, also on Friday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Addressing a pre-match press briefing at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) conference room, the Sri Lankan captain said: "It's nothing new. Sri Lanka-Maldives match always turns as pressure game."
"We're not thinking about our defeat against Maldives in the last SAFF," Sri Lankan trainer Sumith Walpolo said. "I hope tomorrow's semifinal against Maldives will be a gentleman's game," he added.
Maldives head coach Urbanyi Istvan Bela said the semifinal against Sri Lanka would be a very tough game for them, as Sri Lanka got enough rest but "we have a very little time" before the semi-final.
"The Maldives-Sri Lanka match will be emotional and a tough derby," he said, admitting that Sri Lanka is a very strong side having some good players and they have a fair chance of doing well in the semifinal.
Maldives skipper Ashfag Ali might miss Friday's semifinal match as he has a little injury problem, the Maldives head coach said in reply to a question.
The other semifinal between two traditional soccer foes of the region -Bangladesh and India - will take place at 7:30 pm, also on Friday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Addressing a pre-match press briefing at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) conference room, the Sri Lankan captain said: "It's nothing new. Sri Lanka-Maldives match always turns as pressure game."
"We're not thinking about our defeat against Maldives in the last SAFF," Sri Lankan trainer Sumith Walpolo said. "I hope tomorrow's semifinal against Maldives will be a gentleman's game," he added.
Maldives head coach Urbanyi Istvan Bela said the semifinal against Sri Lanka would be a very tough game for them, as Sri Lanka got enough rest but "we have a very little time" before the semi-final.
"The Maldives-Sri Lanka match will be emotional and a tough derby," he said, admitting that Sri Lanka is a very strong side having some good players and they have a fair chance of doing well in the semifinal.
Maldives skipper Ashfag Ali might miss Friday's semifinal match as he has a little injury problem, the Maldives head coach said in reply to a question.