Ahongshangbam samson

SAFF U17 Championship: Four goals in two games is a decent return for India at the SAFF U17 Championship so far. Importantly, their defence is yet to be breached in Thimphu. Though happy with the winning momentum, head coach Ishfaq Ahmed is clear that his boys need to be more clinical in attack.

"First of all, I think momentum is very important. We had a good game against Maldives (on Tuesday), but I would say that we still need to improve our finishing, which is going to be important for us in the upcoming games. You see, most of the teams sit behind and put everyone in the box, making it difficult for us to find spaces. They rely on counter-attacks, which is always tricky," Ahmed told AIFF.

India bagged another clean sheet as they breezed past Maldives 3-0 to qualify for the semifinals as Group A table toppers. The Blue Colts will face either Pakistan, Nepal or Bhutan on September 28.