Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Satdobato on Sunday, Nepal's coach Kishore KC said that his team believes in offensive style of play and is running high on confidence to keep the title home.
"We are confident and ready to begin the campaign. We have had 45-day training camp and my squad looks very capable of defending the title. We believe in offensive mindset and we will go for it," said KC.
"Our target is not just to win games but also to orchestrate a beautiful game. Our unity is our strength. I am confident about the performance of my key players."
When asked which team could be the biggest threat to Nepal, KC said that previous edition's runner-up India and Bangladesh are the frontrunners.
Iranian coach Masoomeh Jahanchi seemed confident about giving Nepal a tough fight and exceeding its expectations.
"Nepal could be the toughest opponent in the tournament. But our team is a group of talented players across Iran. We have had a noteworthy preparation for three months. During that period, we prepared the best team out of 150 players. We believe we could give Nepal the toughest fight," she said.
Masoomeh further added that India is another team to reckon with.
Debutant Maldives will take on Sri Lanka in the second match of the day at the Army Physical Center Stadium while India will challenge another debutant Bhutan in the last match at the Dasharath Stadium.
"This is the first time we are participating and we are eyeing at least a place in the semifinal. We have some great players and this has heightened our expectations. The squad has been promising throughout the three-week training camp," said Maldives coach Naoko Kawamoto of Japan origin.
Sri Lankan coach Menaka Dissanayaka said that her team's aspiration would be getting best results and gaining valuable experience.
"This is a great opportunity for us. We recently appointed a Japanese assistant coach. This has boosted our confidence to a great deal. We look forward for the best results. This is also the great opportunity to learn. Nevertheless, the climate will be challenging for the team.
Indian coach Maymol Nedugadan Rockya was assertive about winning the title and nothing less.
"We came here with our eyes fixed on the title. In our 45-day training camp, my team has improved a lot. Nepal is the toughest opponent and we are playing at their home. But we cannot compromise with the title with anything.
On the opposite, Bhutan's assistant coach Dorji Kenda humbly accepted her team being the weakest in the tournament.
"Women Football Committee was recently formed in Bhutan. Our team is barely two months old. We accept being the weakest. Nevertheless, we look forward to surprising results."
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