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Football   season is in full swing in Nepal.  Despite the national team’s dismal record in international tournaments, there is no love lost for the world’s most popular sport in this part of the world. Football continues to thrive and draw incredible support   across the kingdom. More importantly football fans’ passion, zeal and enthusiasm for   the   sport   remain   intact. The community support for every   tournament   small or big has been crucial. Apparently, there   is   widespread   disillusionment   with the state   of   Nepali football, but   that   does not seem to have deterred young aspirants from playing the game. In recent   years    a bevy of highly talented players have   emerged but not all have been fortunate enough to get the breakthrough.  On the other hand, some...

Barely North Korea hung on and lived up to their top seed   billing to emerge   victorious at the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu Monday. They  were  given a run for their money and narrowly avoided  a  stunning upset by the  surprise finalist Turkmenistan before rallying  from behind  to  earn  a hard fought victory. The Koreans success   was never in doubt from the outset. Having consistently played in top notch    tournaments, including   the   World   Cup, over the years, obviously, they carried vast experiences and were the overwhelming favorites. Although they maintained a perfect score by winning every match, however, they looked far from convincing, undoubtedly. They lacked the velvetiness   and clinical precision in their performance   that characterized the Koreans. They  need  to  turn  around their  game signif...

Finally, much   to   our relief   the   AFC Challenge Cup nightmare is over.  A crest-fallen and demoralized Team Nepal’s hugely disappointing run   came to a close on a disastrous note in Kathmandu recently. Not surprisingly Turkmenistan had few problems dispatching the opposition that was down in the dumps.  The Central Asian outfit   completed a 3-0 drubbing to compound the home side’s misery further. Coach Roberts’   boys failed to put up even a semblance of fight, and they crashed to another spineless defeat, the third in a row.   This is one of the national team’s worst performances in recent memory at home, and we definitely would not like to remember and talk about it. For die- hard fans like me the team’s   abject failure in the competition   is a   shocker   and   a bitter pill to take. Apart from finishing at the bottom of the group, ...

With a heavy heart and in all fairness I have to describe Nepal’s performance a disaster in the ongoing AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu. The curtain has come down   on Coach Roberts and his boys, following their disappointing 0-1 loss to Maldives.  Apparently, the last match against Turkmenistan is merely academic now. The only question that is up in the air is can we prevent   three successive defeats. Never in my wildest imagination did I think Team Nepal would end up in tatters. As I write I am still shaking my head in utter disbelief. I am literally dejected and upset. Despite loss to Palestine in the opener, I had not lost faith in the   team, and deep down in my heart I felt the boys would bounce back roaring. Unfortunately   it did not happen much to everyone’s chagrin. Nepal and Maldives   were in a similar position knowing that their semifinal hopes hinged on the outcome of the match. Seemingly, there was   not...

What I dreaded the most could not be avoided by Nepal in the ongoing AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Thursday. The 0-2 loss at the hands   of Palestine in the opener is a major setback for the team and fans alike.  Obviously, a win could have been a perfect start, or at the least a draw could have worked in our favor. The team comes under intense pressure following the defeat. The remaining two matches have assumed greater importance for Coach Roberts and his boys. To put ourselves   in contention for one of the two semi-final spots   we   cannot afford another mediocre performance. Our   challenges   are much more daunting now. It is a do-or-die   situation   for us to keep our semifinals hopes alive. By any stretch of imagination, it   will not be easy   against Turkmenistan and Maldives. The matter of truth is that we have to perform   exceedingly   well...

Excitement   mounts   as participating teams   touch down one after another in Kathmandu   for the AFC Challenge Cup starting   on 8 March. Football goers in Kathmandu are   all   set   to embrace   the   biggest and the most extravagant tournament they have   been   restlessly   anticipating for some time. They are on the edge of their seats wondering what will be the final outcome. There is no dispute that the North Koreans (FIFA ranking 106 th ) are the overwhelming favorites, and I   predict they will make it to the final round in Australia. If I am wrong it would   be   a stunning upset, something the Koreans cannot live with.    Going by their record and strength, they should have few problems   handling unfancied opponents in the likes of India, Philippines and Tajikistan in their group. That sa...

Die hard football goers across the country   feverishly   wait for the all important AFC Challenge Cup that is lurking around the corner. The sporting spectacle is a bonanza for sport enthusiasts who worship the most popular sport in the planet. The unprecedented exhilaration and excitement in the air is palpable. One of the most identifiable and recognizable landmarks in the capital is “Dasarath Rangasala (stadium)”, the main venue for the competition. Like an old lady it is getting a lavish makeup, never seen before. When all is said and done,  come  8 March, the historical arena that has  been home to innumerable  sporting  and public  events , music extravaganzas,  parades and many more,  over the decades,  will come  alive again. With   time   running out, the work undertaken by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the organizer of the prestigious tournament is taking place at a fast and...