Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 510 Mon. October 31, 2005  
   
Sports


Big win will do


The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) XI must win big today against India to ensure a place in the final of the Grand Royal Challenge Cup football tournament in Myanmar.

A victory in the match, which kicks off in Yangon at 3.30 pm Bangladesh time, will see the SAFF champions finish the league phase with six points but there is possibility of three teams ending level if China upset hosts Myanmar in today's other match.

The unfancied India U-19s are already out of contention following a heavy 11- 0 defeat to Myanmar and a 3-1 loss against China.

Myanmar, who edged Bangla-desh 2-1 in their second match, are top of the table with maximum six points and have all but confirmed reaching the final with a handsome goal difference. They can even afford a modest defeat to China, which is unlikely, but the result would open the door for the Chinese team preparing for the SEA Games.

Bangladesh are ahead of China in goal difference but to avoid elimination for certain, Argentine coach Diego Cruciani's charges who began the tournament with a 3-1 win over China, need to win 6-0. No permutation and combination in the China-Myanmar match would be able to defy that statistics.

However, if Myanmar keep their winning record intact, Bangladesh would need just a draw to enter the November 2 finale and get a chance to take revenge of the league-phase defeat to the hosts.

The team management, however, was not worried about the China-Myanmar clash.

Team leader Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu informed that they had no injury worries in the side but the former national winger hinted at a few changes.

"We are going to rest some senior players and see how the young ones do in the match. As far as we are concerned, the young Indians will not be a threat and we are confident about a comfortable win tomorrow and make the final," Chunnu said over phone.

Cruciani had earlier said that he would use as many players as possible as he took this tournament, his first assignment as Bangladesh coach, as part of his preparation for the Asian Cup pre-qualifiers against Pakistan and the SAFF Championship.