Nepal eyeing AFC Solidarity Cup success

-
The national football team of Nepal is all set to compete in the first edition of the  Asian Federation Confederation Solidarity Cup kicking off  on  November 2nd in Malaysia.

This is the inaugural edition of the Asian Federation Confederation (AFC) Solidarity Cup and a replacement for AFC Challenge  Cup that was held for the last time in 2014.

The competition  is designed exclusively   for minnows of Asian football in  the Asian  Continent.  Never mind the status of the tournament, it offers footballers the much needed  international exposure  and  opportunity not only to compete against one another but more importantly, showcase their talent.

AFC conceived the  tournament with the sole  purpose  to ensure that lesser-known teams get  to play more  international  matches.

The  competition is an ideal  platform  for upcoming talents  seeking opportunities and attention on a global stage.  

For countries lacking opportunities to play adequate international tournaments, AFC Solidarity Cup is a very positive, promising   endeavor undertaken by   AFC.    

Besides  Nepal, Brunei, Timor, Sri Lanka, Macau, Mongolia and Laos  are vying for the top honor. The six losing  teams in  the  first round of the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers were eligible to compete in the tournament.

Likewise, three teams losing  the play-off in  round  2  of the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers  were eligible to  compete as  well. The  tournament was reduced to seven teams, following the withdrawal of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Based on statistics, history , weaknesses and strengths of seven competing teams,  there is very little to differentiate them.More or less, they  share many commonalities. specially in playing standards and fitness level.

Furthermore, they play a similar brand of football in terms of technicality, approach and style. The tournament is wide open and there are no clear favourites. Any team can prevail.

That said, fundamentals of  success comes into play at the end of the day. That is to say, consistency, individual commitment to  a team effort, confidence ,positivity and cashing in on goal scoring chances are crucial elements for any team’s success.

It is not an overstatement to say   that Nepal stands a strong chance of  winning the tournament. I truly believe they have a genuine shot at the title.

The team has the potential to make big things happen. But  at the same time it is extremely important that players  reach their potential and display enthusiasm and fighting spirit.

Following   the incredible  2016 South Asian  Games  success, the team seems to be in high spirits and brimming with confidence like never seen before.  It is a good thing, however, it  is imperative  that they remain focussed and should avoid the mistake of being overconfident.

The path  to success is by no means easy. Rather they have to earn it through hard work and high work ethic. Not to forget, there is still plenty of  room   for them  to improve and grow.

Japanese  Koji Gyotoku   faces his first real big  challenge as Nepal head  coach since he took over from Polish- born American Jack Stefanowski.

The team trained for the  competition at home and failed to  play a single tune up match as part of the preparations due to usual mismanagement of  All Nepal Football Association.

Though Coach Gyotoku  has prefered  silence, but to be fair , he had his share of problems preparing the team .Understandably the preparation  was hindered by limited access to resources  and inadequate  training facilities.

Despite everything,  the Coach  is hopeful of securing   a good result.He has a very talented  rejuvenated lot raring to go.How far he has motivated, drilled and urged players  to better  effort and performance is yet to be seen.

The 23- man squad is a blend of  experienced and upcoming exciting players
in the likes of Anil Gurung,  Rabin Shrestha,  Biraj Manandhar Kiran K  Limbu,  Bimal Gharti Magar Magar, Anjan Bista , Nawayug Shrestha  & Bikram Lama  with  plenty of international experiences.

They must rise to the occasion, show  absolute collective determination and make the most  of every opportunity. Also it is important to make a good start and build  early momentum.

The opener against Timor is most crucial if they want to put themselves in contention for the trophy. You can do it ! Go for it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nepal must have killer instinct to beat India

-
Image
The men’s national cricket team of Nepal  have made headlines in the ongoing Asian Games cricket in China,following two successive  runaway victories against minnows Mongolia and Maldives.   In the opener, they  wreaked havoc on  a relatively inexperienced and weak Mongolia who played their first T20 international match,after gaining ICC membership in 2021. The debut match turned out to be a nightmare for the Mongolian outfit as they got absolutely walloped by the vastly experienced and formidable opposition. On the other hand Nepal took  full advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses and  plundered them to submission in a match that shattered a series of  standing records. The one-sided  victory saw Nepal set the highest ever total (314/3) in the T20 international. In addition,Kushal Malla broke the  existing record  for  the fastest  century . His century came off just 33 balls. Another record breaking performance came from DS Airee who cracked the fastest half century ever off only 9 b
Read more

Nepal needs to put on a fighting performance against against Vietnam

-
Image
    Football,the most watched and followed sport in the Asian Games, got underway  in Hangzhou,China Tuesday. A total of twenty one teams  are in the men’s competition. Initially the draw was made with 23 teams but the withdrawal of Syria and Afghanistan reduced the event to 21.  The championship features under-23 national teams.Asian  powerhouses in the likes of South Korea, Japan,Iran,Saudi Arabia and Qatar  are expected to dominate the tournament. Definitely we cannot rule out surprises and upsets. Host and two times champions China, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Indonesia are teams to watch. With five titles  defending champions South Korea has been the most  dominant side.Once again they are  one of the strong contenders. Iran has the second best record finishing  on top on three occasions. Undoubtedly  they are  front runners alongside Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar for the ultimate honor. After two successive Asian Games appearances in the 2014 in South Korea  and  2018 in Indonesia, N
Read more

Nepal needs optimum effort against Yemen

-
Image
The men’s national football team of Nepal  got  off to a losing start in the second round of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 AFC Asia Cup qualifiers in Doha, United Emirates Thursday. They went down to  heavy favorites the United Arab Emirates 0-4 as predicted.In fact,the final outcome did not come as a surprise. The hosts dictated play for the most part, but they were far from best.They relied on pace,power, physicality,short and long passes, coupled with individual flair,tactical prowess and technical superiority.   They put the game beyond the  reach of the opposition in the first half by scoring four  unanswered goals and ensuring themselves an easy victory in front of an expectant home crowd. Prior to the match the main point of interest was Team Nepal’s overall performance.The  one question on  everyone’s mind was; how competitive could they be?  The Nepali outfit did go down by a wide margin, but, by and large,they put in a spirited  performance especially in the second half. They 
Read more