Nepal underdogs against Philippines

As the national   football team of Nepal  gears up for the away match against Philippines in the 2019 Asian Cup Group F qualifiers in Manila, Philippines, they will hope to pick up where they left last year.

It maybe recalled that the 2016 season was quite a  success for Nepal football  strictly in terms of outcome. We witnessed unexpected success  achieved by local football clubs and national teams in international tournaments. Everybody knows that they earned it the hard way.

The success of the teams breathed some life and optimism into  Nepali football that has remained stagnant for far too long.

All the credit goes to the players.The success largely resulted from a culmination of talent, hard work, dogged determination and fighting spirit.

Remember,  the national team   had gone over two decades   without   a major championship title and the drought finally ended when they beat India in the final of the South Asian Federation Games in Assam, India.

Team Nepal ended the year on a high note by winning the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia, giving their Japanese Head Coach Koji Gyotoku his first victory.In the final they got the better of Macau.

Gyotoku boys are back to action ready to take on the national football team of Philippines. The roster comprising 20-players is definitely not short on experience and talent.The team enthusiasm,confidence, energy ,spirit and adrenaline  level is very  high .

That being said,  they need  much more than that to keep their winning streak going against Philippines's calibre. The big question is whether they  are able to perform above their usual level and  weather the storm.

I hope some of you will agree with me that  it is going to be a very challenging stretch for Nepal.  The opener  against Philippines will be a real litmus test. Fans know the enormity  of their team’s challenge, but they  remain cautiously optimistic.

Nepal has   a formidable opponent  in Philippines, making serious efforts  to rebound from a disappointing 2016 Suzuki Cup  Championship and resurrect themselves. They are a side packed with depth, talent and potential.

Philippines Head Coach  American Thomas  Dooley has a team made up of players from clubs like Global,Ceres-Negros, Meralco Taguig and Kaya FC Makati. He has also included a handful of foreign based players.For sure they will  go full throttle against Nepal and  seek outright win.They will not settle for anything than the best . They will do everything not to disappoint home fans.

It is fair to say that Coach Gyotoku side go into Tuesday’s game  as underdogs.

There is  not an iota of  doubt, Nepal faces a big challenge and are in a relatively tough away fixture.

Nepal’s team selection is conservative and  defense oriented. It is obvious that  selectors  have played it safe. Apparently, the coach has put   strong emphasis on defense.The squad is packed  with seven defenders, six midfielders   and four offensive players.

Selectors have wielded the axe on experienced Anil Gurung,while Nawayug Shrestha has been sidelined due to injury.Having waited patiently for a long period of time , ace striker Karna Limbu finally won his first international cap for Nepal.

One of the most prolific goalscorers in domestic competitions Limbu is the lone new face in the Nepali squad.Should he make it to the first playing eleven, he must seize the  opportunity and make the most of it. Also he has to prove selectors wrong for ignoring him for so long.His presence is expected to spice up an offense that need some juice.

The offensive line still remains Nepal's Achilles’  heel, and  this is an area of  biggest concern. Bimal Gharti Magar Bharat Khawas  Ranjan Bista and Limbu need to step up in a very big way to have any chance at winning.

They must display more finesse and touch and improve finishing  and goal scoring abilities. Besides, they have to  dramatically improve clear cut conversion rate, which is dismal. To put it bluntly, they need to start scoring.

The mid-field spearheaded by Rohit Chand is key to the team’s success and have a very challenging task at hand.Not forgetting  the defensive or holding  midfielders provide  the backbone to the team.

They are expected to cover a lot of ground offensively and defensively.They must rise to the occasion and play to their potential.Ultimately  it will come down to  how effectively, consistently they control midfield. More important,they have to maintain a high level performance to get the team going.

Skipper Biraj Maharjan shoulders big responsibility in defense. The defense has to be rock solid and cannot afford any kind of mediocrity. They have to be at the top of their game as I expect them to come under intense pressure.In  Kiran Chemjong  the team has a good solid custodian and  fans need not worry.

If Coach Gyotoku is defense minded  based on the opposition strengths and his side’s capabilities, I would not be surprised if he relies on a defensive formation 4-4-2 or  5-3-2.  

The physical and mental fitness of players  is my biggest concern .They have all come off a gruelling, exhausting year of domestic competition.The non-stop football has taken its toll on them.I wonder if they are match fit.

Going by the current FIFA standings  at 170 Nepal is the lowest ranked team in Group F.Top of the rankings is  Philippines (124th), followed by Tajikistan( 133th) and Yemen( 148th) . The bottom line is, rankings does not really matter long as Nepal can deliver the goods.

Team Nepal will need a solid defence , power packed  consistent performance, ,positive attitude and enthusiastic approach. A win would be perfect.However, the  ideal result for Nepal  would  be a draw under the circumstance.