By Debayan Mukherjee,
AIFF Media Team

DHAKA: All roads in Dhaka will lead to the Bangabandhu Stadium on Sunday where India take on high-flying hosts Bangladesh in a Group B humdinger of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship China 2015 (Qualifiers).

Billed as the most anticipated game of the group which also shelters Iran, Jordan and United Arab Emirates (UAE), the neighbouring South Asian countries will have a lot to play for not only in terms of earning the bragging rights but also for a berth in China next year.

“I feel this match will see much more turnout than what we see in our National (Bangladesh Premier League) league games,” a local journalist mused on the day Bangladesh thrashed makeweights UAE 6-0.

The hosts have certainly punched above weight till now, shocking everyone starting from Head Coach Golam Rabbani (Choton) by pulling off a win against the much more fancied Jordan in their opening game.

“Even I could not believe the win,” the Bangladeshi coach was quoted as saying post that mach.

“This is certainly a big win. We have got the boost and now we really fancy our chances of making the cut,” he had added.

Playing their first international tournament and with just a month’s preparation on home soil, the 117^th ranked team were really expected to make the numbers. But much like Costa Rica in this year’s FIFA World Cup the girls in green have not only won games they were not expected to win, but have also played some good brand of football.

“Before the tournament we did not even expect to beat UAE. We did not know that they had team playing for the first time,” admitted local Coach popularly known as Choton.

“They have played good attacking football,” India Coach Maymol Rocky maintained.

“We did not expect them to play so well to be honest. It will be anybody’s game I feel on Sunday, and certainly they will be the favourites,” she added.

India unlike Bangladesh failed to hold on to their slender first half lead against Iran, conceding two late goals to end on the wrong side.

“We got tired. We need to work on our fitness,” lamented Rocky.

Iran – top of the table with two wins in two like Bangladesh – looked a different team in the second half after being completely overshadowed by India in the first period. Substitute Fatemeh Hosseini notched a brace to cancel out Premi Chiru’s first half strike.

“They were very physical,” Rocky shared later.

“All 11 of our players are carrying niggles including the goalkeeper. This is not an excuse but a lesson learnt. We will work on our fitness and it is our duty now to spur them up for the all important next game against the hosts,” the India coach from Goa signed off.

It will surely be a crunch game with much at stake as whoever wins the tie will fancy their chances of topping the group with Bangladesh’s only hurdle being Iran and India left to deal with Jordan, with  UAE, unless a miracle, not expected to cause a lot of flutter owing to their dismal performances in both matches.

While Bangladesh are second in the points table with six points from two matches while India are still to open their slate after the first game.

The kickoff is at 4:30 PM IST.