Both semi-finals of the 9th Junior National Girls Under-19 Football Championship will be played on Wednesday at the Punjab Engineering College Grounds here.
Earlier, the Chandigarh Football Association had announced that the semi-finals and final would be played at the Sector 17 Football Stadium. However, the final will be held at the Sector 17 Football Stadium on July 30.
''Water-logging due to rains has left the Sector 17 Football Stadium ground soft and slippery. If both semi-finals are played there, the ground would not be fit for the final. Consequently, the technical committee decided that only the final match should be played at the Sector 17 Football Stadium,'' said CFA secretary Rakesh Bakshi.
Runners-up and Group B champions Manipur will meet Group A runners-up Sikkim in the first semi-final. The Manipur team is a well-balanced side. In five matches they have played, two in the preliminary cluster round and three in the quarter-final league, Manipur have scored 39 goals and conceded only one.
On Monday, Manipur upset defending champions Orissa by 2-1 to top their group.
Sikkim are expected to give them a good fight and with a bit of luck, they are capable of upsetting any oppopents on a given day. Sikkim have played six matches, including three in the preliminary cluster round programme. They netted 43 goals and conceded two. (UNI)
