Creating optimal environment for Women’s football in Nepal is imperative

The Under-20 Women’s national football team of Nepal’s  quest to qualify for the  AFC Under-20  Women’s  Asia Cup Qualifiers concluded in disappointment in Thimphu, Bhutan recently.

Drawn in Group A alongside Bhutan, Saudi Arabia and North Korea,Nepal ended second behind defending champions North Korea.

The winners of each group qualified for the final round.Besides,there were three qualifying spots at stake for the  best  runners-up teams in terms of points and goal difference.

The Nepali outfit entered the qualifiers with  a new level of confidence and optimism.They had to maximize their potential and perform at their very best to deliver the result.

Additionally, it was necessary for them to finish second in the group with a high number of points and a healthy goal difference to be in contention for the three best runners up qualifying spots.

Disappointingly, it did not materialize as they finished the qualifiers with three points and a poor goal difference,which ultimately put an end to their qualifying chances.

The opener against the hosts Bhutan  did not go as planned.They went into the match as favorites but failed to translate expectations into an outright victory.

They were held to a draw and lost valuable points.Their efforts fell short to earn full points.They had to pay a heavy  price for lack of consistent coordination, insipidity and poor finish.The result  proved costly for them in the end.

Against Saudi Arabia they did bounce back with a victory.Although they performed much better but were unable  to boost the goal difference.They barely managed to score a solitary goal.

In their final  group  match they  faced formidable and formidable North Korea.They had a daunting task to overcome the challenge.

Despite carrying  the tag of underdogs it  provided the talent packed Nepali outfit the opportunity to  showcase their potential and make an impression on the match.

They required a great deal of collective effort,determination,guts,confidence,resiliency,competitiveness,aggression, positivity and a solid fighting performance to give the opposition a run for the money.

Contrary to expectations,they caved in without a semblance of resistance in the totally one sided game.In fact they were hapless against the marauding opposition who overwhelmed them from start to finish.

The Koreans stamped their superiority and dominance,making mincemeat of the weak opponent.They made scoring look easy as they drubbed the Nepali side 11-0.

The heavy defeat suffered by Nepal was unexpected and fully exposed their weaknesses on all fronts of the game

The setback for the team is an eye-opener for the All Nepal Football Association.Undoubtedly,a lot remains to be done when it comes to the  overall development of women’s football in the country.

A well structured competitive professional domestic league, necessary infrastructure ,training facilities, adequate funding, grassroots development ,youth programs,qualified  coaches,regular international exposure of players, strategic investments, innovative marketing and sponsors are prerequisites for the organized and effective development of  women’s football in Nepal.There still remains much  work  to be done on all fronts to date.  

Despite  facing challenges and adversities,women’s football has made  significant progress in recent years.The potential and promise women footballers have demonstrated  on the global stage is  a reminder to everyone that they can achieve  a lot more in a conducive environment.