Football: Sri Lanka to host Asian U-16 Women's Championship Qualifiers from Saturday

Sri Lanka will be hosting the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 Women's Football Championship Qualifiers from Saturday (15) at the CR&FC ground in Colombo. 

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has made all arrangements to host the qualifiers from September 15 to 23.
 
Five countries including, Sri Lanka, China, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Guam will take part in the Group A. 

All matches will be played at CR&FC grounds at 11.00am and at 3.00pm on September 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23.
 
Thirty teams from across Asia will vie for eight spots in Round 2 of the Qualifiers, where the teams will then be divided into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Finals in 2019. 

The Final Competition will be played in Thailand.

Sri Lankan Under-16 National team is training under  coach A.K.M. Ajwad from last three months and is a new team picked up by the management from different parts of the country. 

This team has already took part in the SAFF Under-15 Women’s Championship concluded in Bhutan, last month and it was the first and only International experience under their belt. 

“We are expecting to perform better than we performed in the SAFF tournament. Sri Lankan team doesn’t have enough international experience and SAFF Tournament was their first international exposure. We could identify our weakness in that tournament and we are hoping to rectify them in this coming event. Also this will be a great opportunity for our Sri Lankan Team”, said the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Under-16 Women’s team, Ajwad.

Sri Lanka will play against Guam on Saturday (15) at 3.00pm followed by the game against Jordan on Monday (17) at 3.00pm.

Their third game of the competition will be against China on Wednesday (19) at 3.00pm followed by their last game on Friday (21) against Uzbekistan at 3.00pm.  

Sri Lanka took part in to AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship in 2012 for the last time.

The Sri Lanka Under-16 Squad: A.Maleeka Shaahaani (Gateway International Colombo/DF), B.K.K. Nethmi Gunarathna (Nanapurawa MV Bibile/FW), A.T.M. Konsika (Pandatharippu Girls High School Jaffna/MF), B. Seyanthini (Pandatharippu Girls High School Jaffna/DF), H.M.I. Nimsara Kumari (Nanapurawa MV Bibile/FWD), J.A.U. Kavindi Jayakodi (Captain/Kavisigamuwa MV Kurunegala/FWD), J. Jethunsika (Mahajana College Jaffna/GK), J.M. Tashani Jayakadu (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/DF), K.P.A. Anuththara (Kahatapitiya Ranpokunugama MV Nittambuwa/DF), O.A. Minthara Senadheera (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/DF), R.D.P. Madubashini Dassanayaka (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/MF), R. Kirushanthini (Pandatharippu Girls High School Jaffna/MF), S.M.S. Nisansala Kumarihami (St. Joseph's College Gampola/MF), S.P.N. Sadaruwani Bandara (VC/Bandiwewa MV Polonnaruwa/DF), S. Thavappriya (Mahajana College Jaffna/DF), U. Jokitha (Mahajana College Jaffna/MF), W.A.I. Warshadheera (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/MF), W.M.G. Senuri Bandara (SWRD Bandaranayake MV Kandy/MF), J.S.S. Madushani Kumari (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/MF), W.M.O. Sankalani Bandara (Maliyadeva Balika MV Kurunegala/GK), R.B. Dasuni Hansika (Viharamahadevi BMV Kiribathgoda/DF), Samarasinghe Vinuki Shanelka (Gateway International Colombo/MF), Katupoth Rasuni Sanwadana    (Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya/GK)