SAFF Championship: A dog fight in the offing

The highly anticipated South Asian Federation Football Championship is   around the corner. The excitement   is mounting up   and gradually reaching its crescendo.  Football goers in the country   are in the grip of   football fever.

As always, home supporters have high hopes despite the national team’s poor run in international football. The team under Coach Stefanowski gets yet another chance to redeem   themselves.

There is one question that   has been floating around   for nearly 20 years. The million dollar question is: Can the hosts finally break the ice?

And the answer is yes. I believe they can, provided they play   total   football throughout the competition. Besides, lets us not forget   a strong   team effort is a must which is a cornerstone to success.

The South Asian Federation Football Championship (SAFFC) is   in its 20^th year but Nepal has enjoyed very little success.  Hard to believe that   the national team   is still in   pursuit of   its maiden championship success.

The best   result   achieved   by   Nepal   is the   third place   in   the inaugural year (1993) of the tournament. Since then it has been   a   tale   of failed attempts, one after another.

Nepal  did put on an impressive show in the last edition held in New Delhi, India two years ago, but paid a heavy price for their inability to score and rise to the occasion.

That  has to change, and that is an area  they must improve dramatically  if they want to be in contention for the SAFFC title.

There are multiple winners of the tournament. Speaking of winners, the   Indian   team   has virtually dominated the competition and ruled the roost, winning   a record six times.

And, expectedly , they carry the   tag of overwhelming favorites in the latest  edition  of the eight -nation tourney .By  no means, it is  a slam dunk for the Indians and   are under pressure, defending  the title.

Although they   outplayed Afghanistan   to win  the championship for the sixth time in 2011, however,  they are far from invincible and   pretty much beatable. That   said, they  are the team to beat.

They   are   in   the   so called group of death along with Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. One thing is certain: they   have some very tough competition   and it would be interesting to see   whether they are able to withstand the fierce pressure most likely to come from the opponents. They will definitely   face a stiff test.

They have   a genuine striker in Sunil Chhetri, inarguably, one of the most celebrated footballers in South Asia, at the moment.  We know he has the potential to    win a match   for his team single handedly. Obviously, the team will heavily rely   on him for goals.

Since   the 2003   SAFFC    triumph   Bangladesh has been struggling overall.  In the last SAFFC their performance   was   mediocre at best. Despite everything, they   appear determined and hope to turn things round. They have some serious work ahead of them.   

Pakistan, looking for their first   SAFFC   title, is   the fourth team in the group. They have shown some improvement lately   and hope to upset the apple cart. They are technically   okay, but they do have   good   physical attributes to their advantage. If they can get their act together they stand a chance.

India and Nepal are my pick for the semi-finals from the group.  I might be very wrong.  We will see how the competition pans out.

The other group   consisting of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan is equally intriguing.  Two former champions Maldives (2008) and Sri Lanka (1995) along with emerging Afghanistan are locked in a dog fight for the two semi-final spots.

In a short period of time, the national team of Afghanistan has transformed itself into a formidable force, at least in South Asia.

With the service of its foreign based players, they are a force to reckon with and have elevated themselves to the front runner status in the competition.

They are a very physical side packed with talented players.  Should they win I will not be a bit surprised. And they are the team to watch.

Another strong contender is   Maldives. Though the Islanders made a late entry into international football, their progress has been pretty impressive. They are a very focused, determined and tenacious side.  I guess they have a few more surprises in store.

Sri Lanka did spring a   big surprise, lifting the SAFFC in 1995 but have crumbled into oblivion in recent years. They   have been mightily struggling and are looking for ways to reinvent themselves.  All in all, they have quite a challenge on their hands as they prepare for the championship.

Minnows Bhutan the fourth team in the group   have   nothing   to   lose.   I expect   them to go all out to try and win. I am pretty sure their   guts, commitment and   winning spirit will be on display.

Afghanistan and Maldives should make it to the round of four from this group.

The championship is really wide open in which a lot is at stake and promises fireworks, entertainment, surprises and suspense.