Sri Lanka U19’s are primed for the group A, AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers after a promising Asian Schools Championship.
The Sri Lanka U19 Football team will be participating in the AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers which will be held from October 2nd to the 6th in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka are in group A which includes the favourites Uzbekistan, hosts Bangladesh and Bhutan while Pakistan have withdrawn from the tournament.
After a promising group stage Sri Lanka U19 had to settle for 6th place after being defeated 4-0 by Malaysia at the 43rd Asian Schools Football Boys Championship in Baotou, China.
Sri Lanka held a strong Malaysian side goalless at halftime but conceded four goals in the second half. Malaysia scored with the momentum on with three goals in five minutes. Korea finished first while Iran, Thailand and China were placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. In the group stage Sri Lanka lost to Thailand and China 1-0 after hard fought matches.
Sri Lanka U19 lost their first match, 1-0 to China U19 in the 43rd Asian Schools Football Boys Championship. Sri Lanka and Java Lane SC winger Afam Akram was red carded but the boys defended stoutly only to have their hearts broken with a goal in the final few minutes.
After a disappointing first match Sri Lanka U19 thumped India while drawing against Hong Kong. Sri Lanka thumped India 4-0 yesterday while they drew against Hong Kong 2-2.
The five players included are Afam Akram, Sunthararaj Niresh, Perumal Praveen, Peshala Rajakaruna and Ishan Dhanusha; all of whom were in the Peterite team which lost to Zahira College last year, in the final of the All Island Schools U19 Football Championship. Incidentally there are only three from the dominant Zahira College squad with just two who played in that final.
A most notable factor is that 3 players from the war- torn North have also been included in the squad. R.Madushan and Jude Suman represents a football power house in St.Henry’s College, Jaffna and Devaraja Clinton comes from St.Xavier College, Mannar.
S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia creates history with Akhil Fernando as the first Thomian to ever represent Sri Lanka in football while Rasik Rishad from St.Aloysius’ College, Galle; Rajitha Sandaruwan from Hewavitharana MV and Kandy District Schools captain Anjana Chandimal representing the newly crowned All Island Division II Champions Kingswood College, are also in the touring squad.
The most intriguing fact is that 15 of the 20 man squad are playing premier league football for elite clubs in Sri Lanka’s top division; Dialog Champions League. Of them Danushka Madushanka, Afam Akram, Sunthararaj Niresh, Dilip Peiris, Shaheel Azar, Jude Suman, Naveen Jude and Farood Faiz stands out playing with and against the best in the country.
“These guys have trained under me for two months and are well drilled. These guys are one of the best crop of U19 players in recent years and we hope to make a telling statement in the tournament,” Sumith Walpola, the Head Coach told ThePapare.com.
Danushka Madushanka who is the captain, playing for last year’s Champions League runner-up Colombo FC was adjudged the Most Valuable Player in the recently concluded FA Cup where Colombo FC became champions with him scoring in the quarter final, semifinal and the only goal in the final against Blue Star SC. The prolific goal scorer scored a hat-trick in the ongoing Champions League season against Negombo Youth.
Afam Akram (Java Lane SC), Sunthararaj Niresh and Shaheel Azar (Saunders SC), Dilip Peiris (Don Bosco SC) are all regular starters for their respective clubs. Dilip Peiris is the current leading goal scorer in the ongoing All Island Schools U19 Football Championship while Jude Suman and Madushan play for the reigning Dialog Champions League Champions Solid SC from Anuradhapura.
Saunders SC: Sunthraraj Niresh, Shaheel Azar, Mahendran Dinesh
Renown SC: Farood Faiz, Mohamed Ishan
Java Lane: Afam Akram, Naveen Jude
Solid SC: Jude Suman, R.Madushan
Don Bosco: Dilip Peiris
Negombo Youth: Mohamed Nuslan
Colombo FC: Danushka Madushanka
U19 Squad
Goalkeepers
Rasik Rishad (St.Aloysius’), Mahendran Dinesh (Hameed Al Husseinie), Mohamed Ishan (Zahira )
Defenders
Ishan Danusha (St.Peter’s), Perumal Praveen (St.Peter’s), R.Madushan (St.Henry’s), Rajitha Sandaruwan ( Hewavitharana MV), Devaraja Clinton ( St.Xavier), Jude Suman ( St.Henry’s)
Midfielders
Farood Faiz – Vice Captain (Zahira), Mohamed Nuslan (Al Falah MV), Sunthararaj Niresh (St.Peter’s), Akhil Fernando (S.Thomas’), Danushka Madushanka – Captain (Hewavitharana MV)
Forwards
Shaheel Azar (Zahira), Naveen Jude (Royal), Afam Akram (St.Peter’s), Peshala Rajakaruna (St.Peter’s), Dilip Peiris (Maris Stella), Anjana Chandimal (Kingswood)
