Sri Lanka is set to go all out in search of their first win against hosts Maldives in their final fixture of the 13th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) tournament at the National Stadium in Male today with kick-off scheduled at 4.30 pm Sri Lanka time.
With two losses - against Bangladesh (1-0) and Nepal (3-2) - followed by holding the mighty Indian outfit to a draw, the Sri Lankan contingent is gearing up for a do or die battle against the home team, who are rated as a strong contender for the title.
The Maldives drew with India (one all) and won against Bangladesh (2-0). Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan team is in a positive frame of mind after they drew against the Indians, which is a very refreshing factor for today’s game.
The Sunday Observer learns that there are a few minor issues with a couple of players suffering from fatigue, but the team staff are attending to them to ensure a speedy recovery.
They are likely to apply the same offensive approach which they adopted in the last two matches that is being kept a secret for strategic reasons.
The other good news is that the players who missed the previous game due to two yellow cards will be eligible for selection today.
The Maldivians on the other hand will exploit the home advantage and according to a team official they too face a few injury issues, but will name their final team today before the match.
Both sides have met on 19 occasions in the past, with the Maldives winning seven matches while the Sri Lankans have won three and nine encounters ending in draws.
Spectators can be assured of an interesting game of football.