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As always,I look back at  some of  the major stories and headlines that unfolded in Nepal football in 2021. Since the start of Covid pandemic in 2019, our lives have turned upside down and affected all industries, including sports in a big way. For almost two years,sporting events across the country had come to a grinding halt.As COVID eased up,competitive sports made its return globally in 2021 much to the relief of sports enthusiasts. However, as a precautionary measure spectators were barred from all venues and games were held behind closed doors. Domestic football in Nepal came back roaring to life.Postponed and canceled tournaments resumed across the country in a short period of time. Sharp decline of COVID cases finally paved the way for sports goers to return back  to stadiums and other venues. Despite lingering fear of COVID,football starved spectators packed sporting arenas to watch live action and support their respective teams. Amid pandemic,2021 was a mixed ye...

  As I write,the much anticipated Martyr's Memorial A Division League Football tournament has kicked off in Kathmandu. After several postponements,All Nepal Football Association (ANFA),the organizer,finally overcame uncertainties,logistical and administrative impediments to finalize the date for the competition. The league features fourteen teams,including newly promoted Satdobato Youth Club that replaced Saraswoti Youth Club relegated to B Division. Unlike in the past,the league will be played on weekends only.This is a good move on part of ANFA as it gives players the much needed rest and recovery time between games. Since the league is demanding, strenuous, exhausting,taxing and played for a long period of time,players face challenges with fitness level.Apparently,it will be a long slog for players and teams. Besides,these teams participate in countless domestic tournaments throughout the year sans proper rest and recovery time.  Obviously, it puts further mental and physic...

  In hindsight,the Under-23 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Dushanbe,Tajikistan was a  total and absolute debacle for Team Nepal much to our chagrin. Whether or not you agree with my opinion,Nepal fell well short of expectations.They presented itself as a spent force and meekly bowed out of the tournament with little resistance.They had to endure lopsided defeats in every match. The setback fully exposed Nepal’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses on all fronts of the game.The insipid performance came as a big surprise and was hugely disappointing. Despite the presence of quality opponents,Team Nepal entered the tournament with hopes of  churning out a vastly improved performance and achieving desired results. Unfortunately,that did not materialize as they completely failed in their effort to go toe to toe with the polished and superior oppositions throughout the competition. The overall performance was nowhere to their level.They seemingly appeared dejected, disjointed,demoralize...

  Nepal exited the Under-23  AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers with a  thumping 6-0 loss  to home team Tajikistan In Dushanbe,Tajikistan,Thursday. In other words,two defeats in a row has  put an end to Nepal’s failed campaign in the competition.Without a doubt,it has been a hugely disappointing tournament run for the team. It is no overstatement to say that Nepal has clearly underperformed.They have not played to their full potential.Going by the performance,they are mired in mediocrity and sloppiness. Any team that loses to technically superior and well prepared opponents,despite playing their best,does not  come as a surprise.Unfortunately this  is not the case here.The lax manner in which Nepal  performed has largely contributed to their downfall.Honestly I did not expect them to play poorly. Both Nepal and Lebanon are winless but the former is at the bottom of the group on goal difference.The  two clash in the final match to decide who takes the w...

As expected,Asia’s powerhouse Iran blanked Nepal 4-0 in the opener of the Under-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Dushanbe,Tajikistan Monday. The convincing win registered by Iran was not a surprise.They were overwhelming favorites against Nepal and lived up to expectations eventually. Iran’s victory was never in doubt. Obviously  it was never going to be easy for Nepal.Prior to the match,the bigger question was:how well  could they play against the formidable opponent?They did have a fighting chance but needed a solid performance in order to give them a run for their money. Head Coach Bal Gopal Maharjan boys displayed dogged resilience and stubborn defense in the first half to keep the slate clean.They played reasonably well and kept the cohesive and dangerous offense at bay.Of course,they had a slice of luck after the opponent failed to convert a spot kick. The  second  half was  a different story as Iran took total control of the proceedings.Once they got on the boa...

    FromMale,Maldives the action shifts to Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan as Nepal’s Under-23 men’s national team  gears up for the Group B  AFC Under-23  Asian Cup qualifiers. They are all set to take on formidable Iran in the opener.The other teams in the group are Lebanon and Tajikistan. Given the quality of opposition in the group,the Nepali Olympic squad faces quite a challenge.Experienced Head Coach Bal Gopal Maharjan’s side is made up of  talented, seasoned and fiercely ambitious players. The team roster includes a host of players who played in the recently concluded 13th South Asian Federation Football Championship in Maldives. Coach Maharjan has made it clear that he did not have enough time to prepare the team for the tournament. The reason was, a good number of players selected for the Tajikistan  challenge were with the senior team for the Maldives tourney. He added that his side was up against strong opponents and would do their utmost be...

Nepal’s championship dream abruptly ended as they came up short, falling to India 3-0 in the  final of the 13th South Asian Federation  Football Championship in Male, Maldives. It was a case of so near,yet so far.Nepal did pretty well to keep India at bay in the first 45 minutes, however,unable to withstand the opposition onslaught, they fell apart  in the second half. The winners out-witted and out-played Nepal in every way. They put in a dominant performance and clearly were the better side on the day. Like in the first meeting between the two sides, they dominated every statistical category,be it ball possession or shots at goal or passing accuracy or goal conversion. They showed  a lot more cohesiveness on offense, played aggressively and put the opponent under constant pressure till the end.They were deserved victors. On the other hand,Nepal struggled offensively and was a pale shadow of itself.They lacked coordination,flair and never really  threatened to ...