India would like to make a winning start against Bhutan, know when the match will be played

India's U20 men's team is looking to use its mix of experience and creativity for its first Group B match of the SAFF U20 Championship against Bhutan on Monday, which will be played on the artificial turf of the ANFA Complex.

The Blue Colts landed in Kathmandu, Nepal a day after India celebrated its 78th Independence Day, and have been preparing for the upcoming challenge ever since. They have had two training sessions in the Nepalese capital so far. Blue Colts head coach Ranjan Chowdhary said, "We have been preparing hard in Goa for the last two months, and it's almost time for the opening challenge. We are the defending champions of the SAFF U20 Championship; it obviously motivates us to a great extent."

“The match against Bhutan will be a crucial encounter for us, the first match of the tournament is always like that,” he said. Midfielder Akash Tirkey believes the two months spent camping in Goa has helped the team build their fitness and on-pitch chemistry ahead of the championship.

“We have practiced hard and seriously during our two-month camp in Goa and I can see that all of us are looking forward to going there. The entire team has learned a lot from our coaches in this period. Now, all that remains for us is to play well and win against Bhutan,” Tirkey said.

Most of the boys currently in India’s U20 squad have played against Bhutan in the SAFF U17 Championship two years ago, which they won 3-0 in Sri Lanka.

“We have nine players who have played this tournament earlier in the younger age groups and it will be important to use their experience against our opponents,” Choudhary said.

Goalkeeper Sahil, who kept a clean sheet against Bhutan in the SAFF U17 Championship 2022, highlighted the importance of winning the first match of the tournament.

“In 2022, when we played Bhutan, we had just come into the national team and none of us had the experience of playing international football, even at the junior level,” Sahil said.

“They played a lot of short passes and managed their possession very well, but we fought hard and managed to win the match 3-0 in the end. That win gave us the confidence that we can produce such results at the international level as well. So we must get three points in our first match,” he added.