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Bernard Perera reporting from Dhaka...., Thursday

Luck is also a necessity to bring results in soccer, said Sri Lanka's coach Marcos Ferreira speaking after his team was eliminated from the semi-finals of the 3rd SAFF championships here.

Giving reasons Ferreira explained: "We did not know anything about the Afghans who are the new entrants to SAFF. With five players playing in Germany and two doing services for Iranian clubs. I instructed the players not only to win this game but also to score many goals which could be a vital point at the end of the league.

"Our victory in this game is something to be happy about but I was not satisfied with the margin. We missed many scoring opportunities. At the same time we were placed in the toughest group.

"In our next game we wanted to beat Pakistan. This was the vital match for my boys. The media here too predicted victory for Sri Lanka. Pakistanis entered the arena on this day as underdogs, but with Sri Lanka missing, the nets on many occasions Pakistan kept the pressure on the Lankans.

"This proved a success for them. We were very unlucky on these occasions, one goal was a surprise one which none expected. The other one came when one of the midfielders made a mistake which brought luck for them. This is why I say we need luck also to win matches. "Our final game in the league was against India.

India is a big name, but not at soccer. We kept this in mind. As we lost to Pakistan this game became most important. My boys had to play it as a final because this was the hurdle for us for the semis. India wanted a draw, but ours was a victory.

The two misses in the first five minutes proved where our luck was. Even later, Lankans missed few more opportunities. At a crucial stage a free kick was not awarded to the Lankans. The Lankan team is in perfect mental and physical condition. The draw in this game was a surprise to all who watched it.

"The time has come for us to find out why our boys cannot score goals when it is most vital. This has been a longstanding problem for us. We have to sit together to find solutions to this matter," said Marcos.

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