Mohamed ilan imran

SAFF U17 Championship: Having already booked their spot in the semi-finals, India will eye top spot in Group A when they take on Maldives in the SAFF U17 Championship here at Changlimithang Stadium on Tuesday.

In their opening match last Friday, Ishfaq Ahmed's boys saw off Bangladesh 1-0 in a repeat of last year's final as Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum headed in the winning goal in the 92nd minute. Sunday's 1-1 draw between Bangladesh and Maldives meant that India qualified for the semi-final with a game to spare.

Ahmed suggested that might allow him to rotate the squad and give valuable game time to more players while resting a few starters from the first game. "Well, since we have already qualified, I want to make sure the other players get some game time as well. All our players are important. There are a few niggles as well. We want to win this match and top the group," he said.