Nepal faces tall order in SAFF Championship

Footballers from South Asia are all set to compete in the low profile South Asian Football Federation Championship, kicking off in Trivandrum, Kerala, India on 23 December.

Pakistan’s surprise withdrawal from the competition that is held every two years is a big disappointment.

There are reports that All India Football Federation is in talks with Mauritius and Seychelles to replace Pakistan. Whether that materializes or not is yet to be seen.

The South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFFC) was designed with the sole objective to provide upcoming South Asian footballers    an ideal platform to show case their talent and help boost the sagging standards of football in the region.

SAFFC started in 1993 but has not served its purpose, which is why it is lacking quality, glamour, spectator appeal and very little attention from the media.

The reality is that it has proved to be just another low-key tournament, over the years.  Not surprisingly, South Asia is far lagging in world football and has lots of catching up to do. 

There is no serious commitment, efforts to enhance or improve the overall quality of the tournament on part of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).

If steps are not taken to make SAFFC relevant and meaningful, I fear the tournament will slide into oblivion. I, as much as anybody, hope that this does not happen.

Nepal has played in every edition of the tournament without any success, and their best finish has been the third place in 1993. Since then the team has underperformed, struggled and is in a downward spiral to date.

At 192nd in the world, the lowest ever FIFA ranking, Nepal is just 2 place above Sri Lanka ranked 194. Yet again, the big question heading into the tournament is whether they are able to handle the challenge.

Fifty-year-old Belgian Patrick Aussems faces a daunting challenge as head coach, and I pretty much doubt he can make a big difference in terms of the team’s overall performance, as things stand now.

In all fairness, he took over the national team at a time Nepali football was/is going through the most difficult phase of uncertainty.

Coaching time constraints, limited resources, poor SAFFC preparation, bureaucratic All Nepal Football Association, absence of key players and match –fixing scandal have posed a much bigger challenge to him.

Certainly, he does not have a magic formula to drag Nepali football out of the doldrums. That said, he does have the experience, having worked in a similar environment in Africa.

While the task is by no mean easy, it will be interesting to see how he utilizes his experiences to make something out of nothing.

Should he achieve something tangible, the endeavor as a whole would be deemed successful.

Otherwise, at most he should be able to motivate, inspire players to perform with confidence, aggression and true character.

With the odds staked against them, Nepal will need a respectable, consistent and inspired performance to stand a chance in the competition.

We can only hope that they end the tournament on a high note. Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are drawn in the same group, whereas the other group comprises Afghanistan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Pakistan’s withdrawal from the competition has opened a window of opportunity for Nepal to advance to the last four. However, they must capitalize on the chance and perform reasonably well.

Records show that Nepal has always proved a stubborn, difficult and tough opposition for India, and the two countries have a long –standing rivalry.

Nepal held India to a draw in a friendly played in India recently. We can draw at least some solace and hope Aussems’ boys produce a good performance and result.

As underdogs, they have nothing to lose and must go all out for a positive result.

Against the slumping   1995 SAFFC winners Sri Lanka, Nepal has a pretty good chance. But again it comes down to a solid performance and making the most of every opportunity. There is absolutely no room for mediocrity, sloppiness in order to get a desirable result.

Coach Aussems must use his judgment to pick the best available talent and not get swayed by undue internal and external interference.

Also players’ carrying injuries (even minor) or lacking physical fitness should have no place in the final squad, no matter how good they are.

SAFFC should be taken as the first step in the process of rebuilding the national team.

It would be a blunder to ignore young talents waiting in the wings, long enough, to get into the senior team.

In all probability, we will see a good number of new faces in Coach Aussems’ roaster for the SAFFC, especially with the departure   of more than half a dozen or so senior players.

Given the opportunity, they have to prove themselves at the highest level, leaving an impression.  It would be interesting to see how the blend   of old and new players works.

Nepal’s offensive line has always been the weakest link. Time and time again, the team has suffered because of poor finish, failure to convert scoring opportunities and lack of quality strikers.

Although the final squad for the regional championship is yet to be announced, I have taken the liberty to make a few wild guesses regarding the under mentioned players, assuming they are selected for the team.

Pressure is on upcoming ace striker Bimal Gharti Magar to fill the void and score.   The youngster must live to his billing as the new kid of Nepali football with a knack for scoring big goals.

Shunned by selectors for long, if prolific scorer Karna Limbu gets to play he must prove them wrong. Experienced Anil Gurung can no longer afford to be a mere spectator.  In short, it comes down to consistency, cohesion and scoring.

The team has lacked genuine, effective midfield playmakers. Spotlight will be on experienced trio of Rohit Chand, Jagjeet Shrestha and Bikram Lama. They must bring on their very best through out the competition.

Defensive midfielder Chand’s good form is critical for ensuring   the success of the team effort.

One player I love to see in the playing eleven is Bishal Rai. He is a player of great talent and can play midfield or on the attack.

The defense appears somewhat vulnerable in the absence of duo Sagar Thapa and Sandip Rai. The trio of Rabin Shrestha, Jitendra Karki and Biraj Maharajan faces stiff test. Without a doubt, they need to be at their very best.

Although Nepal faces a tall order, they must embrace the challenge, maintain a positive attitude and stay on top of their game.

Despite everything, I still believe Nepal can put in a good performance. I hope I am right.

 At 150 defending champions Afghanistan is the highest ranked team and will play for the last time. They will join the newly formed Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) and compete in CAFA Championship along side Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Afghanistan joined SAFF in 2005 and in no time worked their way to the top, winning the hearts and minds of football aficionados across South Asia.

The footballers from the war-ravaged country initially   struggled but have made great strides in the last five years. Their progress was on full display against India whom they beat 2--0 in the final of the 2013 SAFF Championship held in Nepal.

They are a formidable side and one of the hot contenders in Kerala. Undoubtedly, they want to bid adieu to the SAFF on a successful note. 

Their departure is bound to further deplete the SAFFC, and they will be missed.

India ranked 166^th has been by far the most dominant team, winning the SAFFC six times. They start as firm favorites and still the team to beat.

Enjoying the best ever world rankings, at 188, Bhutan is above Nepal and the dark horse of the tournament. 

Past SAFFC champions Bangladesh (2003) and Maldives (2008) ranked 182 and 160 respectively must prove they are no longer pushovers.

I strongly feel the competition is wide open and any team can win. If I have to pick a winner, I will go with India or Afghanistan or Maldives.