Slumping Nepal in the hands of Belgian Coach Aussems

The national   football team of Nepal is gingerly gearing up for the South Asian Federation Football Championship scheduled next month in India amid chaos, doubt and uncertainty.

The reality is that Team Nepal faces a herculean task ahead of them, although, the final squad for the tournament is yet to be announced.

Unquestionably, it is going to be a bumpy ride for whoever makes the team. The big question is, will players be emotionally, mentally and physically prepared to play their best?

The team’s morale has taken a big hit. Players, coaches’ enthusiasm and zest   for the game have dwindled to a low point. It will be interesting to see how they will wriggle out of it and stand up to the challenge.

With the deck so heavily stacked against them, no doubt, they will require an extraordinary collective effort and must be willing to go to great lengths to stand any chance in the competition.

The national team has been the epitome of mediocrity with a zero winning record for twenty-three years and fallen to a historically low FIFA rankings.  Will this change? I don’t think so.

The goalless draw against India in a friendly match recently did provide one faint ray of hope, but there is no reason for us to rejoice at the result and feel optimistic about our chances.

As things stand now, there is no denying the fact that it is a long, difficult and arduous road ahead for the team.

The last time Nepal made footballing headlines was at the 1993 South Asian Federation Games in Bangladesh at the cost of India in the final to win gold.

Thereafter, it has been a tale of one disastrous setback after another to date. Things have gotten so bad that there seems no end in sight to the woes for Nepal football.

Football in the country is not going anywhere soon, not under the current All Nepal Football Federation (ANFA) led by Ganesh Thapa, the most destructive, corrupt president ever.

The failed leadership of Mr. Thapa is largely responsible for the death of football in the country. The man has no shame, whatsoever and never accepts responsibility   for his failure.

The new man in town Coach Patrick Aussems is at the helm of affairs.  He has taken over a depleted Nepal that is underperforming and  going through a miserable and uninspired phase.

The appointment could not have come at a much worse time for the Belgian. He is the third foreign coach to be hired by ANFA in four years.

He steps into the shoes of Polish American Jack Stefanwoski who was in charge of the national team for two years sans any success.

Coach Stefanwoski was a disaster and made very little impact on the struggling team. He blundered by becoming a rubber stamp for ANFA, thus compromising his professional ethics.

He had his share of moments to restore some pride to the national team, especially in the last SAFF Championship held in Kathmandu but blew it away.

I am sorry to say that Coach Aussems and his so called star- studded coaching staff comprising Hari Khadkha, Upendra Man Singh and Bal Gopal  Maharjan, Kumar Katuwal and Dhurva KC are in no position to change the fortune of the team, not under the  current management, which stinks.

The local coaches are more concerned with protecting their jobs, privileges and self-interests rather than oppose the corrupt football body.

We are yet to see if the Belgian can handle ANFA’s high-pressure tactics.  I am beginning to wonder how he will take the bossy, interfering and condescending attitude of ANFA Chief.

Whether the Belgian is  more than just a coach or just another coach on the hot seat, his work will  speak for itself ultimately.

Weak administrative leadership, lack of preparation,  a poor diet, coupled with technical and tactical inadequacy, arbitrary selection and poor mental and physical conditioning explains the falling standards and  mediocrity of the national team, over the decades.

Nothing seems to have changed one bit. We have the same people running the same show.

No matter what, it is going to be one hell of a challenge for all those associated with the national squad.

The recent disgraceful turn of events has once again underscored   the chaotic state of football in the country.

Nepal football has been deeply scarred by the scandal and age fraud incident and sunk to its lowest ebb. The problems are deep-rooted, and unlikely to be resolved in the near future.

The sad part is that nobody really cares or gives a damn about the declining state of football.

Players are sick and tired of this appalling state of affairs but have been given no space to voice their disapproval. They are aware of the risks and consequences they face if they choose to   criticize ANFA, something they hate to do.

I don’t blame them. Understandably, they have worked extremely hard to build their careers and are desperate to get into the national team.

They have been forced to suppress their voices of discontent, unhappiness and deep resentment. They have become Nepal football’s proverbial sacrificial lambs.

We the fans feel the desperation, frustration and anger, as much as players and coaches. We have exacerbated their woes by our failure to   rise against ANFA that has put football in a rut.

Well, folks you really need to wake up  and  do something to save Nepali football.