Preview: India vs Maldives (Nehru Cup 2012)

The tournament is in its full flow as the 4^th day will witness two South Asian giants locking horns in the replay of the SAFF Championship semi final at the same venue back in the winter. Arguably the two best teams from the region, both have registered 2-1 wins in their opening games. India beat Syria in a rain soaked match while Maldives got the better of Nepal the next day in JLN Stadium, New Delhi.

The blue tigers, under the new coach Wim Koevermans, will go out for a victory with full confidence. Star striker Sunil Chhetri looked sharp against Syria, which would worry the Maldivians. Joining him in the attack will be Francisco Fernandes. Wim labelled him as the perfect player for the “no.10” role- the link between the midfielders and the striker.

A 4-4-1-1 formation is likely to be on the cards for India but flexibility will be key, according the Euro 1988 winner. It will be interesting to see if there will be any changes in the midfield or the wings. Clifford had a wonderful game, according to Koevermans, and it will be of great interest to see if the man from Goa can still produce those crucial passes despite having a not-so-decent game by his own standards. Jewel Raja and Alwyn George were unused midfielders in the previous game and a run out for either or both should make perfect sense. Mehtab hossain will be the key man to shield the back four and break the opponent’s attacks.

In defence, Raju Gaekwad will need to put the Syrian game behind him as he wasn’t his usual reliable self. Nirmal Chettri, Gouramangi Singh and Nabi will look to stop the services of the start striker – Ali Ashfaq.

Maldives will not be an easy task as was the case 9 months back. They beat a spirited Nepalese team who were backed up by a solid support. Ali Ashfaq will be the obvious man to match and Asadhulla who opened the scoring against Nepal could be lethal if given a chance.

Attacking midfielder Umair will look to spark up the game with his creativity. The red snappers will be looking for revenge from their previous failures to capitalize on the chances to beat India. A strong and a creative midfield will be their but the fitness levels of the Urbanyi’s men remain a doubt as any keen observer of their performances during the closing stages of any game would point out, but a close encounter is on the cards.

Head To Head

Total matches played- 11

India wins- 7

Maldives wins- 2

Draws-2

Weather Forecast- Thunderstorms expected