After the cup

by ALOK AMATYA

FROM ISSUE # 121 (January 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE
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ANUP PRAKASH

Having seen their country reach the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation President's Cup, qualify for the U-19 Asia Cup for the first time, and for the U-17 Asia Cup twice in a row, Nepali football fans had high hopes from their heroes at the SAFF championship in Pakistan. Nepal had to defeat one of the two toughest teams in the region—Bangladesh or India—to progress to the second stage in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) games. We lost to both.

The Nepali senior football league has come a long way: it has seen the rise of local powerhouses like Manang Marsyangdi Club, Nabil Three Star Club, Mahendra Police Club, and many skilled young footballers. A good score in the SAFF championship might have ushered us into a new football era but we have a long way to go yet. Our squad for the SAFF championship 2005 included many brilliant players who had done well in the domestic league. Surendra Tamang, striker for Nabil Three Star Club, was one of them. He says, "Our team had a healthy mix of young and senior players, we performed well."

Nepal was an imminent threat to both India and Bangladesh. "It was the first time I've seen the Indian team dominated by Nepal. Our boys played aggressively. The Indians were even forced to pass time on the field," says All Nepal Football Association's president Ganesh Thapa. "It's sad that we could not capitalise on it." India won the SAFF match 3-1. "We had skill and managed to play well against the Indian team though we did not win," says Hari Khadka, captain of the Nepal team. Nepal had to win by the second match in order to stay in the championship. "We could not repeat the performance with Bangladesh," adds Khadka, who has played for clubs in both Bangladesh and India. "They were physically stronger and technically better than us." Bangladesh won 2-0.

"Their defeat in the first match affected them psychologically," says Ramesh Khanal, sports psychologist for the national team. "In the second game, they appeared agitated, bickering about petty things. There was no coordination." Small consolation, but Nepal won its last match with Bhutan 3-1. "We must remember that in Bangladesh or India, a football player has a secure future, and does not have to look elsewhere for income. That makes a big difference because players can then afford to devote themselves totally to the game," says Khadka. He maintains that our team could have performed better if the players had played against competitive teams in the region before. "We know what we need to develop football in Nepal but we have limited investment," says Ganesh Thapa. He is proud of ANFA's success in establishing a grassroots programme which enrols skilful young Nepali players at regional technical centres. He also says that the senior football league has been able to ensure a salary of around Rs 15,000 for players.

Like Khadka says, a country does need a healthy domestic league to develop football but Khanal states, "I don't think the players were prepared for the tournament. Give them a five-month training crammed with practice matches and our players will easily beat any team in the region." Let's hope we'll fare better in the AFC Challenge Cup, co-hosted by Nepal and Bangladesh, in March.