The big test

Sep 01, 2013 - 12:34:54 | Mohamed Niyaz
National team players posing a photo after arriving to Kathmandu, Nepal for the SAFF Championship.

The nation is gearing up for a presidential election and our patriotic genes are on an overdrive. A SAFF championship is round the corner and the people are ecstatic. You cannot ask for a better excuse to enjoy life to the fullest in front of a TV set. Sadly this tournament that was supposed to be the icing on the cake has sent our expectations crashing down.

There is stench of under-preparation in the air. Days before all-the important SAFF championship national team manager has resigned. Coach Urbanyi is downplaying the psychological fallout of this blow on the growing camaraderie among the lads. Question is, is the team going to Nepal in the best frame of mind? How are we going to fare?

We hardly had three weeks for preparation while some of the other teams had taken as long as two months to condition the players, for mental and physical preparation. We got two competitive matches for preparation. Against Osotspa Saraburi, a Thailand Premier League team, we won 3-2. In the next match against the under-19 of Thailand we lost by the same score. Shoddy pitch condition was blamed for the poor performance.

In a short-duration tournament such as SAFF championship where you have a match every other day, the endurance of players and their stamina on the pitch will be tested. It plays a huge part. We don’t know what kind of team will turn up. How will our team cope up in the giddy Great Himalayan Range? Our players are not known for their good physical attributes.

Since 2008 we have played two SAFF championships, AFC Challenge cup 2012, Nehru Cup 2012, and also Indian Ocean games 2011 in Seychelles. A lot of tournaments if one were to speak of them in term of experience and international exposure. Our disappointment is we did not get the desired results we were looking for. Worse, the second half performances were not convincing. It exposed an inherent problem now getting worse with each tournament - players' lack of physical fitness.

They tire out 15 minutes into second halves. There were the usual pitfalls. Poor ball control, poor ball possession. Evidently exhausted, it was then they mostly conceded goals. Woeful second half results have been so often responsible for our premature exits from tournaments. It will be a huge cause of concern in Nepal where the high altitude is problem for the visiting teams.

India is not technically as brilliant as Maldives yet they 'drubbed' us on the last two occasions by 3-1, 3-0 respectively. More than their masterful tactics it was their durability on the field. Their stamina. Their unwavering desire not to give away possession. That extra yard of pace they were able to run. That desperate lunge or match-winning tackles. They had come fully prepared. We still get nervous while defending in set-piece situation. We over-elaborate simple clearances and make unwanted fouls.

They are making big strides in their all-round development. We have come to a situation we must ask whether our win in 2008 was a fluke or not. Our players lack the vital energy needed to sustain them in the last 20-15 minutes of a game. We tend to lose tactical discipline, are stranded out of position when the opposition is on attack. Make silly fouls. The damning result is avoidable mistakes lead to preventable goals.

True, this is young team. The absence of Oppo, the absence of his calming influence from midfield is a big drawback. But it is time they have shown their full potential; make best use of opportunity that come by. Captain Ashfaq says they are ready to play good passing game and the players are raring to give good fight. Football followers are waiting and waiting in a reflective mood.

And as we embark on a journey to navigate the rough terrain of group stage, first up against our old rivals Sri Lanka, it is something for which plan B or C may not be enough. We will need to dig deeper into the reservoir of our pent-up energy and desire to meet the lofty aspiration of fans. We must fight to the last drop of sweat.

We may have won our last competitive fixture against our old rivals with a resounding 5-1 score in a semi-final of SAFF 2009 but history can’t be of any help if that confidence is not complemented with overall good show of tireless energy and high work rate. Tactics and technical brilliance will count for nothing if we are one half wonders. A football match is 90 minutes.

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Grey on Sep 01
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True story mate. We hope for the best, but i dont think they are trying that hard. Carelessness is all I see. As for 2008 the preparations were so superb and so was 2009. Lately this is becoming really bad
Ahan on Sep 01
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Very good report. I have also talked about the impoertance of physical fitness but it seems no body cares about it. I think we all Maldivians think that if we have skill then it enough. And from TV commentries (yes i am talking about that pathetic TVM comentry) we are repeatedly reminded of our players huge telent and skills but not a single time they talk about our real problems. ::: Can you guys remember the the match between Maldives and Nepal in AFC Challenge Cup 2012 ( the full match is available in youtube), played in Nepal??? In the second half of that match arround 14-16th Minute of the game a Maldivian player (i guess Hokey) fell unconcious and was rushed to hospital. And another player was substiuted before he gets worse. Actually they had difficulty in breathing due to high altitiude ( i believe), but sadly even this time no body is talking altitude problem that seriously!!!
Imma on Sep 01
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I was surprised when Dr. Shakeeb said we didn't have any problems with the altitude in the 2012 Challenge Cup. According to many mountain climbers, they undergo 2 weeks of altitude training to overcome the risk of altitude sickness. We went to Nepal just days before our first match. We faced the same problem in Tehran, where Ashfaq said the players suffered from "breathing problems", which was conveniently used as an excuse for that limp defeat. It seems we don't want to learn from the past, we only want to keep the excuses noted down and ready in the even of another catastrophic tournament.

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