ANFA responsible for country's football woes

The national   football team of Afghanistan proved beyond any reasonable   doubt that they are the new face of South Asia.

They derailed six time champions India   to lift the South Asian Federation Football Championship (SAFFC) that concluded in Kathmandu   recently.

The Afghans   put   on a sterling performance and truly deserved the trophy. The winners   only   in their second SAFFC appearance showed to everyone what   they are capable of.

One thing is certain; they have progressed by leaps and bounds, over the course of a few years. Their strong show comes as   a big surprise, considering the fact that it is one of the most war ravaged nations in the world.

As expected, the sport   sector   in   Afghanistan   has been   badly hit   by   the   war and it is   worse off than Nepal in terms of   sports infrastructure and facilities. Yet, Afghan athletes   have   displayed unbelievable resolve and   fortitude   in the face   of adversity.

What   amazes   me   most   is   that   they have not only overcome   adversity but are delivering the results. They have   made unbelievable   strides in both cricket and football   in recent years. Their success in the SAFFC, speaks volumes about their talent and abilities.

If they can keep the momentum at their pace they have a chance to emerge into a formidable team and dominate South Asian football. Interestingly, they accomplished   the   feat that Nepal has failed to   do in two decades.

The head coach of Afghanistan proved that home grown coaches can be good as their foreign counterparts. It may be recalled that Afghanistan was the only team without a foreign coach   in the competition.

All in all, Nepal did play well but not well enough to win the   championship.  It was a familiar story; they put   themselves into a   very   good position only to falter at the end.  This was another glorious opportunity that they failed to   translate into success.

Unquestionably, the players   played their hearts out throughout the tournament. They, however, were unable to   rise to their highest level when it mattered most.

Against a physical and tenacious Afghanistan,   Team Nepal   clearly lacked   physical attributes, ability to penetrate, fire power and strength to close out the match. We have seen   this happen far too often and the team has paid dearly for it.

True, Nepal did not end on a positive note, but it is very imperative that players remain positive and take something positive out of the tournament going into the future.

Heartbroken   and dejected    home   fans   can   take some solace in the fact that their team finally prevailed over India.  Other than that, there was/is nothing to celebrate about .The bitter truth is that the nation’s twenty   years wait for a   SAFFC   title   still remains a distant dream. 

We have waited a very long time. One has to wonder if   Team Nepal is ever going   to   end the longest ever championship drought.  When will the drought end? I am completely clueless. 

As always, we   fans   remain   hopeful about the team regardless of the outcome. To me the biggest irony is, despite a huge talent pool   in the country, we   still   have not been able to build a decent national team.

There is a sense of urgency to rebuild   the   depth of the national side around   young talented players for the long term. The focus must be   on   players’ physical fitness, nutrition, speed and endurance, coupled with adequate preparation and international exposure.

Ganesh Thapa led All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is seen as most responsible for the   country’s football woes.

The lack of progress   is   clearly   visible when it comes to infrastructure    and   grass roots level development   and   national team’s   performance over the   last   two decades.

Long   as Thapa is at the helm of   power, I can’t possibly   see things changing any more for the better. The upcoming ANFA election is a big joke and a foregone   conclusion. He and his handpicked supporters would have no problem getting reelected or elected.

Thapa   has called for   financial support   from   the   government. He   guarantees   national   team’s    success in a tournament   like SAFFC with more money. To hear him say so is   ridiculous and totally laughable.   

Everyone knows   money alone does   not   guarantee   success, and,   more important, it   requires  dynamic leadership,   good   governance, effective management, honesty and   professionalism,   not seen in   ANFA.   

The matter of truth is that there is more money in ANFA than you   might think. The football body provides hefty prize money for teams winning tournaments and players get handsome monetary rewards.

Remember, ANFA   receives   annually   a sizable   grant (US dollar in millions) from FIFA for grass roots level development, coupled with  significant sponsors’ money.  There is lack of accountability   and transparency in profit and expenditures on part of the football body.

Nobody really cares to raise the red   flag, not even the National Sport Council or the Sport Ministry or the government.  Even if they try, FIFA   will   intervene    and   not allow that to happen.  

Most   districts are   without basic training facilities and proper grass roots level training, making it virtually impossible to run any kind of football program.

Every well informed football enthusiast in the country   is aware that under Thapa’s watch, football is getting nowhere.  Twenty-years   is   ample time to   turn things around, instead his   failed    policies have stymied progress and growth of football for years.

The so called main stream media   is too timid in challenging   Thapa’s failure   or claims of   achievement. I just hope the media did/does   a   better job of reporting the truth. Otherwise, they will be doing a great disservice to   football and players.

As much as I hate to  say, I  very seriously doubt  that  things will change under  Thapa’s  extended leadership I will  keep my fingers crossed , and I hope I am wrong.