SAFF U-20: Win against Sri Lanka provides team with confidence, says Head coach Venkatesh Shanmugam

India had won 4-0 against Sri Lanka in their previous SAFF U-20 Championship match

The India U-20 national team will look to build on their win against Sri Lanka to carry the momentum forward in their next match against Nepal in the SAFF U-20 Championship which kicks off at 7 pm on Sunday at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Speaking on the eve of the match, Head Coach Venkatesh Shanmugam said that the 4-0 victory against Sri Lanka "provides the team with much-needed confidence. But it is just the start."

"Winning matches is the most important part. Winning by a good margin gives the players the belief that they can break down rival defences. I hope we can carry the same mentality into the next game as well," said Venkatesh. "It is just a first win. It was a good performance against Sri Lanka. But we now need to focus on the next two matches against Nepal, and the Maldives," he quipped. "This result of course will give a lot of confidence to the boys, and they can come to the next game with a strong mindset."

Nepal has had a couple of good performances so far in the SAFF U-20 Championship, defeating the Maldives 4-0 and Sri Lanka 3-0 in their first two matches. Venkatesh feels that it will be a much closer fight between India and Nepal in the upcoming game. "The next game is very crucial for us, and the boys know that. It is a tough game, and Nepal have shown that they are a very good side. Both the teams are quite close. It is going to be a tough game again, but we need to play our game and get the job done," he averred. (ANI)