Nepal's run in AFC ends in disappointment

With a heavy heart and in all fairness I have to describe Nepal’s performance a disaster in the ongoing AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu.

The curtain has come down   on Coach Roberts and his boys, following their disappointing 0-1 loss to Maldives.  Apparently, the last match against Turkmenistan is merely academic now. The only question that is up in the air is can we prevent   three successive defeats.

Never in my wildest imagination did I think Team Nepal would end up in tatters. As I write I am still shaking my head in utter disbelief. I am literally dejected and upset.

Despite loss to Palestine in the opener, I had not lost faith in the   team, and deep down in my heart I felt the boys would bounce back roaring. Unfortunately   it did not happen much to everyone’s chagrin.

Nepal and Maldives   were in a similar position knowing that their semifinal hopes hinged on the outcome of the match. Seemingly, there was   not   so much to separate the two teams in terms of performance and playing standards.

Nepal, however, did have the home advantage, but as evidenced by the outcome it had no impact. Credit goes to   Maldives   for   their hard earned victory.  Besides   sticking   to their   game plan throughout   90 plus minutes of play, they were   able   to   withstand the   enormous pressure, and at the same time   counter attacked   to   confound   and   frustrate the opposition.

When they were rendered a   scoring   opportunity, they did their job to perfection. No matter how well the team plays, long as they are unable to score, the good performance   goes in vain.

This   has been   the familiar story   of   our national football team one after   the other. First it was the SAFF Championship and now we are seeing in this tournament as well.

The effectiveness   of   forwards was critical for the team’s success   against Maldives, but   yet once again they were not up to their task and made heavy weather of chances that came in countless numbers.

Definitely the boys went into the match firing all cylinders   but failed to make any headway despite controlling the proceedings   in both sessions.  Either they were well off the target or lacked the finish. There is no excuse for the defeat.

The search   for a new batch   of players has to start right away. Otherwise, our agony will keep piling on.  For Coach Roberts   the   AFC   Championship has been a total nightmare and it is not yet over. Like any coach he has given his best, and   it would be unfair to   hold him accountable for the   fiasco.

Let   me point out here, again, that the team lacked a good preparation for the championship. All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) was   so preoccupied by FIFA boss Seep Blatter’s visit that they deemed it unimportant. A reasonable    preparation could have helped   the   team   put up a better   performance.