Bengaluru
Kuwait and Pakistan will conflict of their second Group A match of the 2023 SAFF Championship on the Sree Kanteerava Stadium right here on Saturday.
Both groups have had contrasting begins to their SAFF Championship marketing campaign. While Kuwait registered a 3-1 victory in opposition to Nepal in its opening match, Pakistan succumbed to a 4-0 loss in opposition to arch-rival India.
On paper, it seems like yet one more mismatch because the 143rd-ranked Kuwait will fancy its probabilities in opposition to the 195th-ranked Pakistan. However, head coach Rui Bento shall be cautious.
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The Al-Azraq (blue wave) had been majorly dominant in opposition to Nepal. The Gorkhalis lacked artistic concepts and struggled to play out from the again. However, there have been situations when the Kuwait backline was caught out of place, which invited counter-attacks from Nepal, most of them led by Anjan Bista, who additionally scored Nepal’s solely objective within the defeat.
Against Pakistan, Rui Bento will anticipate his crew to push ahead and crowd the ultimate third, having ready attackers in Shabaib Al-Khaldi and Mohammad Abdullah. But he’ll instruct his crew to be cautious of being underneath the specter of counter-attacks, much like the Nepal recreation.
Pakistan’s Otis Khan, who was one of many brighter sparks in his crew’s 4-0 drubbing in opposition to India, confirmed glimpses of his uncooked tempo and ball management down the left channel. If Kuwait shouldn’t be cautious, then Pakistan would wish only one transition from defence to assault to ship Khan by on a counter-attack.
Better ready
Pakistan assistant coach Torben Witajewski, after the India match, acknowledged that the Blue Tigers had been the higher crew on the night time, however mentioned that it was not simple for his crew to play after being on the street for near 17 hours. On prime of that, 14 gamers of the Pakistan crew reached Bengaluru roughly seven hours earlier than kick-off.
Asked if that had an influence on the match, Witajewski mentioned, “Definitely… we don’t want to give excuses. India was the better team today. But it was not easy for our boys.”
“We know what we have to do and what our players can do. I am sure after some rest and a proper training session; the team will be better prepared.”
Sloppy errors
Pakistan conceded its first objective in opposition to India within the sloppiest method doable. Goalkeeper Saqib Hanif, in a bid to clear the ball, kicked it straight to Blue Tigers skipper Sunil Chhetri. With an empty internet in entrance of him, Chhetri slotted the ball in with out fuss. The momentum fully shifted after the primary objective. Chhetri went to attain the following two from spot-kicks, with Udanta Singh scoring the fourth objective.
Sloppy errors like this have been synonymous with the Pakistan soccer crew in the previous couple of matches. In all chance, Shahzad Anwar’s facet shall be underneath the cosh in opposition to a potent Kuwait assault. It shouldn’t present Kuwait any objectives because it did to India.
“I think that’s the way it has gone for us, in the Four-Nations Cup in Mauritius as well. It is the little mistakes. In the Djibouti match we scored, and then ten seconds later, we conceded a sloppy goal. These mistakes don’t help us at all. We have to build from a good platform and play better from the back,” Pakistan’s Otis Khan mentioned after the loss in opposition to India.
Kuwait, at the moment on three factors, will climb to the highest of Group A with six factors in the interim, if it wins in opposition to Pakistan. Bento’s facet may even transfer prime with a draw as it is going to attain 4 factors, another than the present group-topper India.
Pakistan is at the moment backside of Group A. Shahzad Anwar’s males can climb to 3rd momentarily with a win or a draw, sending Nepal to the underside.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com