Time to bring in new players

We   hear   a   whole lot of conversation   and chatter   about Nepali football nowadays. Some are meaningful, whereas   others   are more uncertain and speculative.

It seems the conversation never ends.  There is no reason why football goers should   refrain   from talking about the game they love so much. They have   every   right to express freely their opinions and views.

Whether their opinions   matter   or make sense,   let   readers   judge and decide themselves.  I will say this   though, All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) don’t care what people say.

Everyone agrees on one thing, no matter how you feel or view about this issue, football is not heading in the right direction.  As a   matter of fact   I have highlighted this   fact umpteenth time.  

Obviously, the   discussion   is   centered on the national football squad and the upcoming   South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFFC) taking place in Kathmandu in   September.

Football fans   are   getting increasingly   frustrated   and disappointed over the team’s   mediocrity. They have put on a brave   face and   endured   years   of   frustration and pain, hoping that the team will bounce back in style one day.

Unfortunately, that has not happened in the last nineteen years.   As a matter of fact, the wait has been much   longer than   we expected.  

Despite everything, fans will see hope   when   footballers take the   field for the SAFFC in less than three months.   The only   way to appease   the fan base is a   good performance that yields   desired results on part of the   team.

As always the challenge faced   by the host is huge. Sadly ,  head coach   Stefanowski’s   boys   will be under tremendous pressure to perform consistently and deliver the goods in front of the partisan crowd.  

So far it has been a story of lost or missed   chances for the home side. The inability to perform   under pressure and close   out   crucial matches  has long been their   Achilles   heels. Also their problem   in scoring     goals   is   very evident and worrisome.

If the team   continues   to struggle offensively, things can only   get worse.  The forwards have not displayed a penchant for scoring goals, and they have   clearly failed getting goals that really matter.

Though the present crops   of    strikers    are   experienced,   promising   and young, however, they have not lived up to expectations when it comes to cashing in on the scoring chances.   They have been tried   and tested for a good number of   years, but it has been all in vain.

Going by the team’s recent   performance, the midfield is significantly weak. The absence of a genuine playmaker and   quality midfielders   was   all too obvious.

Without a doubt, there is so much more to organizing the team in order to compete successfully. The team desperately needs a trio of attacking and attacking defensive midfielders to fill the offensive and midfield void.

The defense has always   been our strength but they have on occasions looked vulnerable, especially under pressure. Furthermore, it is very important that players   keep themselves in peak mental and physical shape to slug it out against physically formidable opponents in the SAFFC.

The team’s woes   might not end soon should   the coach    stick to the same   set of players, plain and simple. We have   seen   enough of some senior players   to know what they are capable of.  

The time   has   come to rebuild the team and groom young guns. The coach needs to gamble by bringing in   new players   like highly talented Bimal Gharti Magar  

There is a bevy of outstanding   youngsters ready for national duty. It would   a big mistake to totally ignore such promising prospects.

They can thrive   given ample   opportunity to play alongside senior players. There is every possibility that   there are many more Rohit   Chands hidden in the shadows. Just my humble opinion.

We have our strength   coaches.  They are true professionals and know their responsibilities.  I should not be   saying   what they should and should not be doing.  That said, they must act in the best interest of the team and players.

Time is ticking   fast and  SAAFC is fast approaching.  As things stand now, the   team’s   preparations   is   at   the   early stages.

I   really do hope   the training is not limited merely to hiking and   friendlies   against junior   sides. Otherwise, we are definitely headed   for another disappointment. Let us hope not.