Big Challenge for Nepal

Nepal makes its   maiden   appearance   in the 15^th edition of   the Nehru Cup football championship in New Delhi, India, starting from 23 August at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The other four teams in the tournament are   India, Maldives, Syria and Cameroon .The competition will be played in a round-robin league, with each team playing against one another, and the winners and runners-up of the group will contest   the final eventually.

For most   teams to be part of Nehru Cup stature is a matter of pride. That is even   truer   for a   struggling team like Nepal, lacking adequate international exposure and opportunities.

Had Kenya (first choice) or Jordon (first choice) or Philippines (second choice) confirmed its participation, Nepal would not have been in the mix.

I was   taken aback   that All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) accepted the last minute invitation at such   short notice.

ANFA should have thought twice before   deciding   to participate in the tournament.  I   fully understand   this   tourney means so much   to our players, and each competition is a learning experience for them.   

That said, but   if   we   solely   compete   for the sake of participation, that makes no sense at all to me.  At the very   least, our objective   should be   to make sense of things. To achieve this, it is important to prepare   the team appropriately for the challenge.

Regrettably   that does not seem to be the case, and that is my biggest concern. Regardless of how enticing the   invitation might be, when you know that   your team is under -prepared and not up to the challenge,   what is the rationale behind the decision to participate in the tournament.

The team   is up against formidable opponents   in the likes of Syria, Cameroon and   host India, but they fall well short of the mark when it comes to the level of preparedness.

ANFA’s   decision to participate in the   tournament   took both the    coaching staff and   players by complete   surprise.  The competition comes   at   a   time   when   a   large   majority of   players   are beginning to come   out of their off season slumber.

Under the circumstances, apparently, it   has   been   quite  a struggle for head coach   Krishna   Thapa  to put together a team and train them .The ongoing training  is a big  joke, and I am wondering what  this  means for the team.

A good quality   preparation is a must and   it does make a world of difference when it comes to the team’s overall performance at the end of the day.

Nepal’s preparation for   the   2011 SAFF Championship   held in New Delhi was the best ever I   can recall   over a decade. It was made possible by Graham Roberts who was then head coach of the national football team of Nepal.

I doubt we will ever again see that kind of preparation for a major tournament not under home grown coaches who   are totally dictated by the football body.

The selectors have named a twenty-one player roaster   for the Nehru Cup. The core of the team is almost unchanged from the 2011 SAFF Championship.

Bikesh Kuthu and Rupesh KC have worked their way into the national squad for the first time. One prominent name missing  from the team is   energetic Robin   Shrestha who is recovering   from injury. 

Undeniably, it is a youthful   talented outfit   with plenty of experiences, but   they are up against a big challenge, and I am afraid that the odds are heavily against them. Candidly speaking, my expectations   are not high.

The team   must   perform at their very   best to make some kind of impact in the championship. And even more importantly, they have to get off   to a good start because it sets the tone for the competition.

They need   to come   out firing on all cylinders and take care of business in the opener against Maldives. Otherwise, they will have a   tough time containing India, Syria and Cameroon.

The attack line   comprising   Jumuanu, Santosh and Anil  is Team Nepal’s weakest link.  Lately the trio has   mightily struggled to  score goals, and unless   they   rediscover  their scoring  touch in time, it will hurt the team   in the predictable manner.

There is   quality   depth at the   midfield and defense,  however, they   have to perform exceptionally well to stand a chance of survival.

There is no end   in sight   to Nepal’s   dismal run   in international tournaments. It’s almost impossible to   believe   that   in the last 18 years   the  national team has  failed to achieve anything noteworthy as of yet.

I  can only hope that  Team Nepal gives their best effort and  are able to leave a lasting  impression.

The Squad

Goalkeeper

Kiran Chemzon,Ritesh Thapa,Bikesh Kuthu

Defense

Sagar Thapa,Sandip Rai,Rohit Chand, Biraj Maharjan,Sabindra Shresta,Bikash Singh Chhetri.

Mid-field

Raju Tamang, Nirajan Khadka,Bhola Silwal,Rupesh KC,Jagjeet Shrestha,Bijaya Gurung and Anil Ojha.

Forward

Jumuanu Rai,Santosh Sahukhala, Anil Gurung,Bharat Khawas, Sujal Shrestha.

Head Coach-Krishna Thapa.

Assistant  Coach- Hari Khadka.

Goalkeeping Coach-Upendra Man Singh