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Nepal’s challenge in the ongoing South Asian Football Federation Championship   was short-lived, following two consecutive defeats much to its fans’ chagrin. They had opportunities to prove themselves and had the best ever chance to reach the semi-finals, but their efforts were all in vain at the end. Nepal is back into uncertain territory after the latest debacle. Ostensibly, it was a massive disappointment for fans that expected a much better performance from the new look team. Losing against Sri Lanka in the opener proved to be the turning point in Nepal’s early elimination from the championship.   Everybody agrees that Nepal conceded the match they should have won handily. There simply can be no excuse for a defeat like that. As a result, the team was under intense pressure to perform well and deliver the result going into the decisive match against India. In a must win situation, however, Nepal fell flat, especially in the second-half in Tr...

The South Asian Football Federation Championship is right around the corner. The national teams of South Asia sans Pakistan are gearing up to duke it out for the prestigious trophy. The region’s best and brightest talents will be in action when the competition kicks off in Trivandrum, Kerala in India. The million-dollar question is, who will emerge victorious? Of course, you want your team to win. We can only speculate on the result based on teams’ performances and achievements in recent years. I will say though, I will be very surprised, if India or Afghanistan fails to win the championship. Afghanistan Defending champions Afghanistan playing for the last time and     host India desperately trying to reclaim success start     the tournament as    overwhelming favorites. Afghanistan have had a meteoric rise in recent years. Their convincing championship victory over India in the last South Asian Football Federation    Ch...

Mr. Ganesh Thapa, no more, is President of All Nepal Football Association, thanks largely, to the world football governing body, however, he still wields significant influence. At the helm of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) for more than two decades, Mr. Thapa disgraced himself and the country, leaving a tainted legacy marked by widespread corruption, abuse of power and mismanagement. Contrary to expectations, he used ANFA he controlled for his own personal benefit all along, rather than significantly contributing to the growth and development of football in the country. Disillusioned footballers, coaches, and fans suffered tremendously by his autocratic and egoistical style leadership. Their saturation point for frustration, helplessness, hopelessness and anger reached epic proportions, however, they could do nothing.   Mr. Thapa had ample time and opportunity to prove himself a strong, capable and able leader and turn around the struggling Nepali football. ...

Footballers from South Asia are all set to compete in the low profile South Asian Football Federation Championship, kicking off in Trivandrum, Kerala, India on 23 December. Pakistan’s surprise withdrawal from the competition that is held every two years is a big disappointment. There are reports that All India Football Federation is in talks with Mauritius and Seychelles to replace Pakistan. Whether that materializes or not is yet to be seen. The South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFFC) was designed with the sole objective to provide upcoming South Asian footballers    an ideal platform to show case their talent and help boost the sagging standards of football in the region. SAFFC started in 1993 but has not served its purpose, which is why it is lacking quality, glamour, spectator appeal and very little attention from the media. The reality is that it has proved to be just another low-key tournament, over the years.  Not surpris...