Nepal underdogs against Bahrain

Things are far from  rosy for the men’s national football team of Nepal.To put it bluntly,they have been struggling like never seen before on the field.

Currently they are going through a prolonged slump.It  has been  a story of one disappointment after another in international competitions.The declining fortunes of football in the country is palpable.

The recent 1-4 defeat against Malaysia in a friendly match further exposed Nepal’s vulnerability.

Amidst great challenges,Nepal is gearing up for the double header against Bahrain in the FIFA World Cup AFC Qualification 2026 Second Round Group H  match in Bahrain.

Nepal’s home game  was moved to Bahrain  after  the Asian  Football Confederation inspection team found the    Dasarath Rangasala pitch embarrassingly in bad condition and deemed it sub-standard.

 

It is a classic case of gross negligence on the part of All Nepal Football Association(ANFA).What a shame!

They had ample time to ensure the safety and playability of the ground. Unfortunately,it can be said that they shamelessly chose not to.

As a result, they squandered the opportunity to host the crucial qualifier in front of local fans whose support for the team would have made a big difference in the team’s performance.

 

Having lost to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen,Nepal is winless and languishing at the bottom of the table. Their World Cup Qualifier run  can end if they lose both upcoming  matches.

Team Nepal on a dismal four-match losing streak faces an uphill climb against favorites Bahrain.They carry  the minnows tag and the odds are heavily stacked against them . 

The physically, technically  superior and well  prepared  Middle Eastern outfit enjoys a clear edge over  the failing opponent.

In spite of challenges,Nepal must  go full  throttle and give their best to overcome the odds .

 

They have to be gutsy, resilient, aggressive ,confident, competitive and  display  dogged fighting  spirit,coupled with effective teamwork in the face of adversity.

They should not be overly defensive allowing the opposition to overwhelm them.It is imperative that  they translate scoring chances into goals.

Team Nepal must continue to strive to do better regardless of the result.

Despite frequent coaching changes,the team’s  overall performance  has remained  far from encouraging and stagnant.

There has  been no significant changes  in terms of performance and results since Italian  Alberto Vincenzo Annese took over the national team as the head coach.

To be fair, we cannot  hold him accountable alone.There are  many variables affecting the team’s poor performance.

There is nothing surprising in this.We have been witnessing this for decades.

A coach hands are tied, given the sad state of Nepal football.

He/she does not hold a magic wand to change things around overnight. No matter how good or experienced  a coach might be, he can’t be effective if he doesn’t  have necessary tools, resources and support.

The fact of the matter is that a new head coach, be it foreign or home born,is no longer the solution.

Nepal football is beset by a multitude of problems that are stymieing development and infrastructure.

Foremost  ANFA plagued by systemic issues like weak leadership, maladministration,groupism,

mismanagement, petty politics, incompetence and unaccountability is the biggest problem in itself.

There is absence of  a collective effort to initiate meaningful and sustainable reforms to put  Nepal football in the right direction.

Until and unless  serious efforts are made to  adequately address the root causes of the  problems,the national team will continue to underperform  and Nepal football landscape will remain unchanged.