SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship: “We need to focus” claims Alex Ambrose ahead of Bhutan clash

by Rounak Majumdar October 10, 2019

After conquering Nepal in the opening affair of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship, head coach Alex Ambrose looks ahead to their next encounter against the hosts – Bhutan. The match is slated to be played tomorrow at the Chalimithang Stadium in Thimphu.

Alex spoke about the need to maintain the momentum and stick to the plans. “It’s up to us to work on our own technique, get in focus and stick to our plans, rather than focusing on what Bhutan is like,” stated Alex.

He emphasized the fact that Bhutan is an outfit with a commendable fighting spirit. The team won’t leave the field without putting in a great effort till the last minute of the game. To add to that, Bhutan will be playing at home, with the support of the crowd behind their back. However, Ambrose believes that his girls need to stick to their game and push through.

“Bhutan obviously will have the backing of the home crowd here, but that is something that all players have to deal with all over the world, in almost any sport,” quipped Ambrose. “Of course having the crowd behind your back helps, but we have to make sure that we stick to our plans and play our game,” he added.

Bhutan faces India after a 2-0 loss against Bangladesh in the first matchday. On the other hand, India started off their SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship with a 4-1 victory over Nepal, a result that boosted the confidence. Also, the team had arrived in Thimphu a week ahead, in order to acclimatise with the frosty conditions in the Himalayan nation.

“Football is all about the team that creates a lot of chances and I believe in taking those chances, and scoring those goals,” said Ambrose. “This was our first match which was always going to be difficult. Acclimatizing to the conditions also helped us a lot, but I am sure they will do better in the rest of the matches.”

The match between India and Bhutan at the Chalimithang Stadium in Thimphu is scheduled to kick off at 5.30 pm IST and can be streamed live on Mycujoo.tv.