Maldives and India are set to meet in the semi-finals of the ongoing Under-19 SAFF Championship in India. Maldives advanced to the semi-finals after drawing 2-2 with Bhutan on Tuesday evening, securing second place in their group. Bangladesh, the most recent champions, topped the group that included Maldives. In their first match of this tournament, Maldives also drew 2-2 with Bangladesh.
In the other semi-final, Bangladesh will face Nepal. Both semi-final matches will be held on Friday. The final match of the tournament, taking place at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in India, is scheduled for Sunday. Maldives entered this tournament with the ambition of bringing home the trophy. Although Maldives was eliminated at the group stage in last year’s SAFF Championship, this year they prepared with the aim of winning a medal, confident in their ability to defeat regional powerhouses.
The young team has been conducting training sessions in preparation for this tournament since April. In addition to training in the Maldives, they also trained in Singapore. The coach of the Under-19 national team is Ahmed Shakir (Shaakitte).
