Underprepared Nepal faces big challenge in SAFF Championship l

The  men’s national football team  of Nepal   takes on Kuwait in the opener of  the 14th edition of the South Asian Federation  Football  Championship which  kicks off  on Tuesday in  Bengaluru, India.

Eight teams are competing in the region’s biggest and prestigious tourney.The highlight of this year’s edition is the participation of  two outsiders Kuwait and Lebanon.

Missing from the tournament is Sri Lanka, suspended  by FIFA for an indefinite period . The presence of Kuwait and Lebanon is likely to spice up the tournament,making it more competitive,intriguing and interesting .

Despite the significance of the South Asian Federation Football championship (SAFFC),participants have not benefited much in the true sense.

The tournament unquestionably is an important platform for emerging talents  in the region to showcase their skills.  

However, the competition lags  behind in quality,and the standard of play leaves a lot to be desired. By all accounts,it is a poor reflection of South Asian football.

Inviting  quality teams from outside the federation to the tournament is the right thing to do.

In doing this  it  builds interest in the tournament,making it more competitive and challenging. And teams benefit from playing against strong and superior opponents which helps boost their performance. 

Whether  or not  defending  champions India’s stranglehold on the tournament comes under attack this time, time will tell.

Given their  convincing victory over Lebanon after 46 years  to  lift  the Intercontinental Cup recently, they have sent a warning to their opponents.

It is not an overstatement to say that  the   Blue Tigers are in good form and playing a positive brand of football.

Of the seven South Asian countries,only  Nepal and Bhutan  have never won  the SAFFC. 

Nepal’s  best finish  has been  the second  place in the last edition  held in Maldives.In the final they meekly went down to India.

On the other hand,Bhutan has never  ever come close to winning the elusive championship.

Team Nepal under  the new head coach Italian  Vincenzo Alberto Annese  gets another shot at SAFFC glory.

The Italian coach  took over a team that was poorly performing and impacted by established players who migrated overseas 

He tasted success early  as his team  lifted  the Prime Minister Three nations Cup featuring Nepal, Laos and Bhutan held in Kathmandu  a few months ago.

In spite  of the success, the overall performance of the team  left much to be desired. 

Everyone agrees that  the team  needs a big improvement  to make a meaningful impact on SAFFC.

 As a matter of fact, the  talent pool in the country has grown but the level of play remains stagnant.

Football  aficionados are aware that the team’s weaknesses outweigh  its strengths.

The  Italian is facing an even bigger challenge.

 It will be interesting to see how  he approaches, tackles the situation and builds the squad. He knows the team has  a mountain to climb in the SAFFC.

The preparation for the regional tourney was pathetic,insufficient  and inadequate.The period of   time  players spent together  as  a team was limited and too short.The only friendly  match played  was against the Philippines.

 

The recently  concluded Martyrs’ Memorial ‘A’ Division  tournament  and  football clubs unwillingness to release players because of a row  with ANFA over financial issues  hindered the preparation.

What can we expect from  a team  that underwent only two weeks of preparation  for the  championship ? Unbelievable!

It’s  a case  of  gross  negligence, incompetence, poor planning and mismanagement on the part of  the football body. 

ANFA led by Pankaj Bikram Nembang  continues to fail in its responsibilities and let down footballers in a big way. They are proving  to be  no better than their predecessors.

On top of that, adding fuel to the fire Nepal is in a  very tough group alongside India, Kuwait and Pakistan. 

Undoubtedly, it is going to be a really big  test for  Team Nepal. Odds are  stacked against them as  they have a  very challenging  start against  heavy favorites  Kuwait.

Clearly they  are the underdogs against the technically, physically and tactically superior opponent .

Despite everything,Nepal must  go into the opener with lots of confidence,positivity  and will  power.

They must  step up and make their best efforts and  play as a well-organized , well-synced up and collective group of players. It’s all they can do.