KATHMANDU, Sept 20: Nepal U-16 football team’s head coach Sunil Shrestha has said that his side’s first match in AFC U-16 Championship 2018 Qualifiers against Iraq at Halchowk Stadium, Kathmandu, on Wednesday would be crucial. 

Speaking at the pre-match conference in the capital ahead of the opening day of the tournament, Shrestha said that his team was fully prepared to acquire full three points from the match despite Iraq being a tough opponent in the qualifiers. 

“Iraq is the strongest opponent in the qualifiers, but we will play for the three points. We can’t go into the game with a weak mentality just because the opponent is strong,” said Shrestha. 

Nepal pitted in Group D of the qualifiers will compete against India and Palestine beside Iraq in the qualifiers to be run until September 24. 

Top team from the group will secure its place in the final round of the championship to be held in Malaysia next year.  

“Each team in this qualifier is participating with a target of securing a place in the final round. 

Our objective is no different than that,” added Shrestha who had guided Nepal to the final of SAFF U-15 Championship a month earlier. 

Now the same team is taking part in the AFC U-16 Championship 2018 Qualifiers. However, Shrestha has made four changes in the side. 

Goalkeeper Siddhartha Thapa Magar, defender Pukar Khadka, midfielder Sherab Lo Tamang and Sanju Shrestha who were not in the SAFF squad have made their places in the 23-member team this time.  

Shrestha further said that the changes were made due to the injury of the players, insisting that team was still equally strong despite the inclusion of new faces.  
He further said that all the participating teams were strong and they had to take all the matches seriously to top the group.

Iraq’s head coach Ali Hadi said that his team came to Nepal with good preparation, with a target of making place in the final round. 

“We prepared for five months keeping this tournament in mind.  We played 10 friendly matches before coming here so our boys are confident,” said Hadi. 

However he was not in a mood of under-estimating the opponents. “I didn’t watch Nepal and India’s matches in SAFF but I am very well-known about their abilities. Each match is going to be tough,” added Hadi. 

Likewise Indian head coach Bibiano Fernandes said that his team was the second favorite in the group to qualify for the final round, behind Iraq.

“I think we are second strongest team in the group but that doesn’t mean the other teams are weak. This qualifying campaign is not going to be an easy task,” said Fernandes who had guided India to the title of SAFF U15 Championship beating Nepal in the final, last month.  

However Fernandes said that this tournament was going to be different than the SAFF Championship. “This competition is going to be different than SAFF. We must give our best performance to qualify,” said Fernandes. 

He further said that conducting the training camp in Qatar and playing some friendly matches before coming to Nepal has boosted the confidence of his players. 

On the same occasion, Palestine Head Coach Yahany Asso Jalayaja expressed his confidence of topping the group in order to qualify for the championship. 

“We are here with a target of topping the group and we are confident of doing so,” said Jalayaja. “We are aware with the opponents: Iraq has a rich history in such competition and Nepal has been doing well in age-group tournaments. But we are well prepared.” 
Palestinian head coach Jalayaja also informed that his team was in four-month-long training camp for the preparation for the qualifiers. 

India and Palestine will compete in the opening match of the qualifiers on the same day at Halchowk Stadium.