Both teams have had contrasting starts to their SAFF Championship campaign. While Kuwait registered a 3-1 victory against Nepal in its opening match, Pakistan succumbed to a 4-0 loss against arch-rival India.
Kuwait and Pakistan will disaccord in their alternate Group A match of the 2023 SAFF Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium then on Saturday.
Both brigades have had differing thresholds to their SAFF Championship crusade. While Kuwait registered a 3- 1 palm against Nepal in its opening match, Pakistan succumbed to a 4- 0 loss against arch-rival India.
On paper, it looks like yet another mismatch as the 143rd- ranked Kuwait will fancy its chances against the 195th- ranked Pakistan. still, head trainer Rui Bento will be conservative.
The Al- Azraq (blue surge) were majorly dominant against Nepal. The Gorkhalis demanded creative ideas and plodded to play out from the reverse. still, there were cases when the Kuwait backline was caught out of position, which invited counter-attacks from Nepal, utmost of them led by Anjan Bista, who also scored Nepal’s only thing in the defeat.
Against Pakistan, Rui Bento will anticipate his platoon to push forward and crowd the final third, having suitable bushwhackers in Shabaib Al- Khaldi and Mohammad Abdullah. But he’ll instruct his platoon to be cautious of being under the trouble of counter-attacks, analogous to the Nepal game.
Pakistan’s Otis Khan, who was one of the brighter sparks in his platoon’s 4- 0 trouncing against India, showed casts of his raw pace and ball control down the leftchannel. However, also Pakistan would need just one transition from defence to attack to shoot Khan through on a counter-attack, If Kuwait isn’t careful.
Pakistan assistant trainer Torben Witajewski, after the India match, conceded that the Blue Barracuda were the better platoon on the night, but said that it wasn’t easy for his platoon to play after being on the road for close to 17 hours. On top of that, 14 players of the Pakistan platoon reached Bengaluru roughly seven hours before kick- off.
Asked if that had an impact on the match, Witajewski said, “ surely we don’t want to give defenses. India was the better platoon moment. But it wasn’t easy for our boys. ”
“We know what we’ve to do and what our players can do. I’m sure after some rest and a proper training session; the platoon will be more set. ”
Pakistan conceded its first thing against India in the sloppiest way possible. Goalkeeper Saqib Hanif, in a shot to clear the ball, demurred it straight to Blue Barracuda commander Sunil Chhetri. With an empty net in front of him, Chhetri slotted the ball in without fuss. The instigation fully shifted after the first thing. Chhetri went to score the coming two from spot- kicks, with Udanta Singh scoring the fourth thing.
Sloppy crimes like this have been synonymous with the Pakistan football platoon in the last many matches. In all probability, Shahzad Anwar’s side will be under the cosh against a potent Kuwait attack. It shouldn’t gift Kuwait any pretensions as it did to India.
“I suppose that’s the way it has gone for us, in the Four- Nations Cup in Mauritius as well. It’s the little miscalculations. In the Djibouti match we scored, and also ten seconds latterly, we conceded a sloppy thing. These miscalculations don’t help us at all. We’ve to make from a good platform and play better from the reverse, ” Pakistan’s Otis Khan said after the loss against India.
Kuwait, presently on three points, will climb to the top of Group A with six points for the time being, if it wins against Pakistan. Bento’s side can indeed move top with a draw as it’ll reach four points, one further than the current group- crusher India.
Pakistan is presently bottom of Group A. Shahzad Anwar’s men can climb to third shortly with a palm or a draw, transferring Nepal to the bottom. Know More Latest Football News…
