Sri Lanka in a make or break contest

S. M. JIFFREY ABDEEN -Kandy Sports Correspondent

Sri Lanka under-23 football team will face a 'make or break' situation when they take on Pakistan in the last of the round robin football quadrangular for the Mahinda Rajapaksa trophy in the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Football Championship 2012 which will be played at the Jayatillake Sports Complex, Nawalapitiya today at 4.p.m.

This is going to be a decisive match for the Sri Lankans as a win over the Pakistanis will ensure them a berth in the finals of the inaugural championship which will be played at this venue on Sunday. A loss will mean that they will be out of contention along with Bangladesh who have lost both matches upto now. In that event Pakistan will be in the finals along with Maldive Islands. The Sri Lanka team after a poor show in their opening match against Maldives which they lost by the biggest margin in the tournament so far 0-3, put themselves in contention by defeating Bangladesh 1-0 on Wednesday.

It was a morale boosting win for the Sri Lankans but a lot more strategy is required if they are to get the better of the Pakistanis.

At 2 p.m. the top favourites Maldive Islands will meet the lowly placed Bangladesh and a victory for the Maldivians looks a mere formality. They have contrasting records. Maldive Islands have won both matches beating Sri Lanka 3 - 0 and Pakistan 1 - 0. Bangladesh on the other hand have lost both matches losing to Pakistan 0 -1 and to Sri Lanka also by the same margin. If they are to topple the Maldivians they will need the 'Devil's luck'.