Nepal squanders opportunity to end championship drought

At long last,Bangladesh ended its long wait to win the men’s Under-20 South Asian Federation Football Championship in an emphatic  manner  at the cost of Nepal in Kathmandu recently.

Contrary to expectations, they outplayed the hosts and were  run away winners much to the disappointment of the partisan crowd. The final match was a  testament to Bangladesh’s sheer  dominance as they secured a convincing 4-1 victory.

The winners  had lost to Nepal in the group match but turned things around  dramatically to win the championship. 

They put together a consistent,aggressive  and  well coordinated performance  to  outrival and exact revenge on the opposition.

In the last- four Bangladesh had upset the applecart by prevailing over defending champions India to set up a second meeting with Nepal. 

No doubt, they  defied odds,stuck to their winning strategies,turned the tables and proved themselves worthy  winners ultimately.

For Nepal it was a familiar tale of missed opportunity.They  had the momentum, home field advantage  and psychological edge over  the opponent  going into the final.They were in a great position to end the championship drought.

They faced high expectations and were under some sort of pressure to deliver the result when it mattered most.They had to  stay absolutely  focussed,determined to achieve their goal and needed a winning performance.

That did not happen.The home team made a hash of the final by performing well below expectations, making too many unforced errors, lacking consistency and cohesion,leaving gaping holes in the defense and failing to rise to the occasion. 

The downfall was their own making as they took a brutal tumble on  the last hurdle.They reached the final with an unbeaten run and were favorites to win the championship.

More importantly, they were able to drive fans and supporters' interest in the final who truly believed their team had a realistic shot at the title.

In defeat  partisan supporters were   jolted, frustrated, disappointed and dejected at the end of the day. 

No one disputes the fact that a  clear chance to redeem themselves was squandered by Team Nepal.

Players' emotional outbursts suggest that  they  were overwhelmed by the setback. Understandably, having come  tantalizingly close to crown themselves champions but finishing second best  is traumatizing and  devastating.

Undoubtedly,the  team fell well short of  achieving their goal.They have to learn and grow from setbacks moving forward.

Players have to remain committed, motivated, disciplined, focussed and resolute. It is a talented outfit capable of dishing out  a much better performance.

When all is said and done,it comes down to fully unleashing the team’s potential.

However,it will require a conducive football environment in terms of  governance,management,grass roots football,infrastructure,international exposure,training facilities and professionalism.

Unfortunately, in the current context of Nepal football,aspiring  footballers seeking a professional career in football are faced with a multitude of problems largely because of the All Nepal Football Association’s ineffective governance and mismanagement.