SAFF Championship 2013: It would be nice to face India in the final – Afghanistan’s Balal Arezou

Former Churchill Brothers striker Balal Arezou is expecting a tough fight against hosts Nepal, whom Afghanistan face in the first semifinal on Sunday but is hoping to meet holders India in the final.

“We have to go past Nepal first, which won’t be easy but yes it would be nice to face India in the final as I have happy memories of playing there in 2011 and for Churchill Brothers of course,” he told Sportskeeda after the goalless draw with Maldives on Friday.

Balal sympathised with his former teammate Sunil Chhetri, who will miss India’s semifinal clash against Maldives on Monday.

“I feel bad for him (Sunil) because he is a great player and deserves to play in a match like the semi-final. But I still hope we get to face each other in the final,” he said.

The Afghanistan forward refused to make comparisons between the Indian side that lifted the 2011 SAFF Championship and the class of 2013.

“It is very difficult to compare. Every match and tournament is a new challenge. India is always a tough team to face in this tournament,” he stated.

Balal was Afghanistan’s top scorer and the tournament’s second highest scorer in the 2011 edition but is yet to score in this tournament, having also missed a penalty. The Norway-based player stated that he is still getting used to the contrast in conditions between Norway and Nepal.

“Yes it wasn’t easy for me as I had to adjust to a different climate and time zone but I am not thinking about the missed chances or previous games. I look forward to the semi-final against Nepal now,” he concluded.

Balal has happy memories of playing against Nepal as he netted an extra-time winner against them in the 2011 semifinal.