Nepal must go for the kill against Macau

The national football team of  Nepal  stands  on the cusp of  greatness once again. They are within striking distance  of another  major  trophy. Should they lift the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia on Tuesday,  it would be  quite  an achievement.

They face one last hurdle  in the form of  Macau in their quest for the ultimate. From my standpoint ,as things stand, I am very optimistic about Nepal ‘s chances of  winning.They are well positioned  for title run, and it is very doable.

So far so good for Coach Koji Gyotoku  boys the way the tournament has panned  out as projected . They got  off to a sedate start and  managed  to pick up steam  with each game. 

The job, however,  remains unfinished , and  it makes  it imperative they  finish off  on a high note as they head into their final game.

There is no bigger disappointment  falling at the last  hurdle . They must display, will, commitment and hunger to win,  which matters so much to the team and fans. They should believe  they can win.

Team Nepal carry   huge expectations back home. I find this hard to believe that they are actually on a  winning streak, which  was a rarity  a few years ago.

Sometimes  winning streak can lead to complacency  and they cannot allow that   to happen and ruin  their chance of  getting the desired result.

Nothing cannot be or should be taken for granted. Anything can happen until the referee blows the final whistle. I believe some degree of circumspection and caution  is warranted.

Nepal’s  semi-final clash against Laos  tells the whole story and serves as an eye  opener. The game  was a real  ding-dong affair.  Not only were they given a  run   for their money but had to  comeback from a goal deficit  and  win in penalty shootouts, thanks largely to custodian Kiran Kumar Limbu’s heroics.

I reckon coaches must have gone back to the drawing board  to analyze the performance and correcting areas of weaknesses that were clear and visible. It is very important that they do not allow the opposition to exploit those vulnerabilities to their advantage.

For the first time in the tournament  the  Nepali defense showed cracks and were under pressure from the opposition counterattacks.

Much to their surprise, they were  swamped by the opponent’s physicality and pace. In the final they can expect  similar pressure and challenges. They have to come up big , strong , fast and absorb the pressure.

Although the offense  has  produced a few goals  but  still they are unable to  find their rhythm and finishing touch.  They are  yet to display the firepower we are used to seeing.

This is of concern to the team. Their time to seize the moment has arrived, and they would need  to deliver more than what we have seen so far.

As for midfielders, it is time for them to be more involved, creative, innovative   and responsible.

Besides,  Team Nepal cannot   let their guard down They must stay totally focused,committed , play high energy  football and  keep mistakes to a minimum.

Against a resilient Macau in the final ,Nepal starts as the favorites.  The two  sides have  played each other  in the 1998 and 2002 World Cup qualifiers and in a friendly in 2008.

Going by head-to head statistics, Nepal holds  a 4-1 edge over  Macau. The only time Nepal lost  was in  the 1998  World Cup qualifiers. Nepal 3-2 won the last friendly between the two countries. Does   statistics  really matter  ?  I don't think so.

The pressure is on them without a doubt. At the end of the day, it boils down to being able to perform under pressure.

By reaching the final, Macau has proven to be  a side that cannot be taken lightly. They are a very confident lot and have the potential to  upset the applecart. Their entry into the final  is no  fluke.

Their title aspirations are real. They  realize that they have nothing to lose and are likely to go all out for the kill. They do hold  a slight physical advantage over Nepal and have the ability to outmuscle and ability to mount counterattacks.

I am looking forward to a thrilling  and absorbing  final.  I still think Nepal has the final to lose.