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Sri Lanka ready for tough battle against Pakistan
Wednesday, 7 December 2005 - 2:27 AM SL Time
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Sri Lanka are poised for a strong battle as they prepared to take sweet revenge on hosts Pakistan in the first match of the 4th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Gold Cup Championships here at the Karachi People`s Stadium today. The match will kick off at 6 p.m. local time just after the opening ceremony of the SAFF Gold Cup Championships which offers handsome prize money of US$ 50,000 for the winners.
In the previous edition of the regional championships Sri Lanka suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Pakistan after a closely contested battle.
The Sri Lankan national team led by Duddley Steinwall yesterday completed their final training session prior to the opening encounter.
`It`s going to be a tough game. Pakistan are a very strong side and specially with the home advantage it will be pretty hard to beat them,` team coach Sampath Perera said.
Pakistan are placed 175th in the latest FIFA ranking while Sri Lanka are well ahead on the 144th position.
`It`s true on paper we are well ahead of Pakistan but in reality they are as good as we are,` Perera added.
However, Perera thinks Sri Lanka can beat Pakistan, if they perform to their potential.
`It`s a matter of keeping to our basics and giving everyone`s best to the team. If the players can do it, we can win the match or go for a draw,` he added.
The first two teams of each group will qualify for the next round.
Meanwhile, debutant Tharusha Rangana will replace midfilder Chathura Maduranga, who was ruled out from the Championships due to knee surgery. Also making his first international match is defender Dimuthu Hettiarachchi.
`The absence of Chanthura is a great loss for us but we have the services of Kasun Jayasuriya who has fully recovered after an injury,` Perera said.
Meanwhile, skipper Steinwall said that giving 100 percent on the ground would not be sufficient to beat the Pakistanis.
`We need to give over 100 percent to beat them. They have the home advantage with a massive crowd support,` Steinwall said.
Sri Lanka is grouped along with Maldives, Pakistan and Afghanistan while the defending champions Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan are in Group `B`.
The winners and the runners-up of each group will play in the semi-finals, which will be played on December 14 while the final is scheduled for December 17.
Sri Lanka - SD Thilakaratne(Goal Keeper), Dudley Steinwall (Captain- Defence), Nalin Nanda Kumara (Defence), K.M. Fuard (Defence), E.B. Channa (Forward), B.A.R Jayawilal (Mid-field) Crysteen Fernando,(Mid-filed), M.N.M. Izzadeen (Defence), Tharusha Rangana (Mid-field), Dimuthu Hettiarachchi (Defence) and Kasun Jayasuriya (Forward).
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