Analysis: A reflection of Bibiano's previous gameplay, India U-15s look set to dominate SAFF Championship

The hosts registered a commanding win over Nepal in the tournament opener earlier on Wednesday.

Bibiano Fernandes' India U-15 boys continued their winning streak from Thailand, as they drubbed neighbours Nepal in the opening game of the SAFF U-15 Championship at the Kalyani Stadium on Wednesday. The Blue Colts looked comfortable on the ball, as they took the fight to the Nepali side for the majority of the game.

The win does not make India the prime favourites to win the tournament. However, one thing is for sure, this Indian U-15 team, under the tutelage of Fernandes, is destined to do great things, given enough time and resources. The current U-15 boys, while some of them are still adapting to the national team setup, others, like Sridarth and Sibajit have taken the responsibility to carry the team forward. This has helped the side to gel better and while one of them is underperforming on the pitch, the chemistry helps them overcome it with ease.

The biggest example of this would be Shubho Paul. The lanky #7 started the game not too brightly. One of the two Bengali players in the side (the other being Anish Mazumder), Paul did not look confident to hold on to the ball, as Nepal's right-back, Niranjan Malla, bettered him on multiple occassions and forced him to go wide. However, as the game developed, Paul tried to cut in more from the left, helping the likes of Maheson and Sridarth to make daring runs inside the box. 

Bibiano Fernandes' strongest tactic with all his teams over the years has been the wing-play and this team is no exception. The AFC U-16 Championship last year saw two names stealing all the limelight, in Bekey Oram and Vikram Pratap Singh. Oram and Singh's daring runs into the opposition half and their pinpoint crosses along with timely cut-ins, helped that side finish behind Indonesia in their group. Since then, both have gone on to be important players in the Indian Arrows setup and are integral parts of Floyd Pinto's plans for the future.

While both Shubho Paul and Taison Singh are very different players from the former duo, they bring unique abilities to the side, which will be important for Fernandes in the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers next month. Paul's biggest strength is his speed, while Taison relies more on technique. In one-on-one situations, while Taison smoothly sails past the opposition defender, Paul primarily focuses on outrunning him. 

However, the biggest positive from this side is not the wide gameplay, but, the defense. Local boy Anish Mazumder, also the captian of the team, was paired with Paogoumang Singson in the heart of the back four. Pritam Meetei took the right-back position, while Amandeep occupied the left side of the rearguard.

While Singsong is the physical presence at the back, Mazumder is the leader in the team. Flashback to the first 20 minutes, when the Nepali side managed to get past the Indian defensive midfielder, Sibajit Singh on two different occassions, Mazumder took matters into his own hands and dealt with the threat rather maturely. He was also seen giving instructions to the #6, who rose to the occassion and had a much better game afterwards.

Do India have everything they need to win the championship? Probably. The Blue Colts look to be in great form. Bibiano looks confident of his side. While Fernandes has already mentioned that this tournament is the 'perfect' stage ahead of the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers next month, only time will tell if this young bunch can rise to the occassion and clinch their third SAFF U-15 title.