First ever SAFF U-16 cup will kickoff with Pakistan U-16 facing off against India U-16 at Dasarath Rangasala, Kathmandu today.The tournament will run from August 1 to 10.
SAFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco addressed that these tournaments are necessary to give a good exposure to the U-16 Boys before they participate in the AFC U-16 qualification.
Nepal U-16 will face Bangladesh U-16 on 4th of August and then Sri Lanka U-16 on August 6th. It is yet to see that the U-16 would follow the heart winning performance by the senior team. Apart from the loss to Jordan in Amman, Nepalese senior team has performed magnificently under Graham Roberts. Nepal is now ranked 20th in AFC and 1st in the South Asian subcontinent. Nepalese supporters will have faith that the U-16 will follow the footsteps of the seniors.
Ganesh Thapa hinted of declaring the name of winner of Rupak Memorial Award and the Best Footballer of 2067 BS in a month. ANFA has announced to provide a flat to the Best Footballer of 2067 BS. But ANFA has yet to name the best player.
Similarly, ANFA has not announced the name of Rupak Memorial Award winners since 2064 BS though the award is supposed to be given every year.
"Awarding player is not a big deal. We were busy in bigger projects than awarding players. We will let you know about awards within a month. All the winners of Rupak Memorial will be announced at once," Thapa assured.
Speaking at the press meet, ANFA President Ganesh Thapa said that Nepal had a tough time securing the chance to host the final round of AFC Challenge Cup scheduled for April 2012. Along with Nepal, Maldives and Palestine, which boast of better infrastructure than Nepal, had also filed their bids to host the final round of tournament.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee meeting in Malaysia on Friday had decided to allow Nepal to host the final round. However, AFC had set some conditions for organizing the event in Nepal.
"AFC has asked us to upgrade the physical infrastructure and conditions of ground to host the final round," Thapa said. "But ANFA cannot do this single-handedly and we need support of all sides including the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Sports Council."
KATHMANDU, July 31: Nepal will play its first SAFF U-16 Championship Football Tournament match against Bangladesh on Thursday at Dasharath Stadium.
Nepal has been placed in group B in the six-team contest, which has Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as other teams in the group, in the first edition of event scheduled to kick off on Monday at Dasharath Stadium. In other group match, home team will play against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
In curtain raiser, India will play against Pakistan in the group A match on Monday. Maldives is the other team in group A.
Top two among three teams from each group will qualify for the semifinal stage after round robin group matches. Only one match will be played on each day until group stage which ends on August 10. All matches will be placed at Dasharath Stadium.
Squad
Nepal has finalized the names of 23-member squad for the event under the captainship of Heman Gurung.
Goalkeepers: Birendra Chand, Brijesh Singh and Alan Neupane; Defenders: Sanjay Rajbahak, Aaditya Chaudhary, Bishwas Shrestha, Bibek Basnet, Anjan Lakhaju and Nabin Gurung; Midfielders: Heman Gurung, Rungri Hang Rai, Sagar Lama, Firon Magrati, Shikharmani Kafle, Umesh Thapa, Pramal Thapamagar and Yugal Pandey; Forwards: Rishi Thapamagar, Anil Gurung, Krishnaraj Lama, Suraj Hamal, Suman Lama and Suraj Kumar Rai.
KATHMANDU, July 31: All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has decided to organize the Martyrs Memorial Red Bull C Division League from mid-August.
After a meeting with the officials of C division clubs, ANFA decided to conduct the league from August 13.
Altogether 12 teams, divided into two pools, will participate in the league. The top two teams will be promoted to B division.
The top four teams, other than the top two promoted to B division, will get a chance to play in the C Division National League, while the bottom team from each pool will be relegated.
The most anticipated League of Nepal is here. ANFA has taken a milestone footstep on developing football from east to west and south to the north. Gorkha Brewery has become the first official sponsor of the league for next three years. The ANFA president Ganesh Thapa and Gorkha Brewery's Marketing Director Rajendra Gurung sealed the deal worth 25 lakh rupees recurring every season. ANFA defined this contract as the largest sponsorship in any Nepali League. Now, the teams requires to win the National League to enter the AFC President's Cup instead of the Martyr's Memorial A-Division League.
The decentralisation has begun.The clubs outside the valley will have the opportunity to show that they are no weaker than the clubs inside the valley. One of such a club is Sahara club. The club nurtures unfortunate children as well as young talents from my home town Pokhara.Sahara were denied entry into C division owing to the geographic location as well as protest from the clubs in Kathmandu. We don't need to reiterate that clubs such as Sahara and other clubs around the country has contributed the best players in Nepal to the A division clubs as well as the national team. Current Nepalese dominant striker no. 10 Anil Gurung used to play for Sahara Club in the past.
Structure of ANFA National League: ANFA has proposed three National Leagues in three tiers.
A-Division National League: 6 teams from Martyr's Memorial A-Division and 2 A-categorised district teams, 6 teams will play home and away.
Total: 8 teams
B-Division National League: 4 teams from Martyr's Memorial B-Division and 2 B-categorised district teams, all matches will be played in same venue.
Total: 6 teams
C-Division National League: 4 teams from Martyr's Memorial C-Division and 2 C-categorised district teams, all matches will be played in same venue.
Total: 6 teams
The top six clubs from the Martyrs Memorial A-Division League (MM ADL) automatically qualifies for the A-Division National League. The champions Nepal Police Club and !st runner up Manang Marsyangdi Club followed by Jawalakhel Youth Club, Three Star Club, Himalayan Sherpa Club and Ranipokhari Corner Team has already booked their places. Two teams from the A-categorised districts i.e. Banke, Chitwan, Jhapa, Kaski, Makwanpur, Morang, Parsa, Rupendehi, Kailali, Sunsari will challenge for all Nepal supremacy.
Similarly two teams from B-categorized Districts: Dhankuta, Ilam, Siraha, Rautahat, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Dhanusha, Nawalparasi, Tanahu, Kanchanpur, Surkhet, Syangjya and two teams from C-categorized Districts: Panchthar, Sarlahi, Bara, Saptari, Baglung, Mahottari, Nuwakot, Dhadhing, Bardiya, Dolakha, Dang, Gorkha, Lamjung, Palpa, Udayapur will test the mettle of 4 top teams from Martyr's Memorial B-Division and Martyr's Memorial C-Division Leagues respectively. All matches for both bottom tiers will not be played in different venues.
The teams from B and C-categorised districts can be promoted into higher National Division Leagues by their performance in respective leagues. First and second position of both B and C-categorised districts in these leagues will provide them MM C-Division League status. Similarly First and second position by the A-categorised districts will earn them MM ADL status. The relegation will also be in similar fashion.
By analysing the facts, B-division National League is going to be more competitive. Teams from Syangja are really strong and I strongly believe that they need to be amongst A-categorised districts. The Journey is going to be tough relatively for the A-categorised teams in A-Division National League. The reason is that the teams from Martyr's Memorial are not only experienced in playing top level but also have learnt to play day in and day out. Fatigue is going to play a major role. They play more frequently than many European clubs during the season. Also the six top clubs from MM ADL can also loan maximum of 5 players each from other clubs from A-division league.
The League is dated to be commenced on 26th of August.
Overall, the league will transform the teams and players alike. The players would be more beneficial to show their skill to charm national as well as international professional clubs. I am supporting Kaski and Sahara, AND YOU????
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KATHMANDU, July 29: Nepali football team restored lost pride on Thursday, five days after its 9-0 drubbing, with a 1-1 draw at home against mighty Jordan during the second leg of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Dasharath Stadium.
Jordan, having hammered Nepal in the first leg at Amman, advanced into the group stage with a 10-1 win in aggregate.
To brush aside the humiliating first leg defeat, substitute Bharat Khawas scored the 80th minute goal to earn a draw, as Nepal came up from behind. Earlier, midfielder S. Murjan had put the visitors ahead in the 53rd minute.
In the stadium with a capacity crowd, Khawas achieved his target when he unleashed a powerful shot from the box in a brilliant short pass by Sahukhala, who sprinted the ball a long way before setting it for Khawas.
The draw was no less than a victory for the Nepali team and it was a result not just of the effort of the team but support from the huge home crowd, the enthusiasm of the players and the heavy downpour which started during the first half and subsided in the middle of the second half. The downpour truly favored the Nepali players, disturbing Jordan players´ more than the home side.
"Not only do we know the soil of this stadium and country but the soil also knows us very well," an emotional Nepali captain, Sagar Thapa, said during a post match press conference, adding, "When we play with great support from fans on home ground we feel like we could play carrying all 11 opponent players on our shoulders without feeling tired. I would like to salute the fans."
According to Thapa, the support of spectators at the parapet was a challenge to heavy downpour and it finally gave up. The hooting of ´Nepal, Nepal´ resounded in the 18,000 capacity stadium right from the beginning until final whistle.
"The spectators deserve the win. The crowd was fantastic and showed their pride," said Nepal´s British coach Graham Roberts. "The country has top celebrating spectators," the former England international said, adding, "We matched with Jordan today."
Jordan, which made six changes in the starting lineup including four goal scorer Hasan Abdel Mahmoud and first choice goalie Amer Sh, felt the pressure and failed to coordinate well on the slippery ground.
However, it was Jordan that took the lead with Murjan´s open header in a corner off A Deeb who had netted twice in the first leg match to stun goalie Kiran Chemjong.
But Khawas, who came off the bench in the 66th minute as replacement for Biraj Maharjan, turned the hero for the team when he got back the equalizer.
The goal aside, Nepal squandered about half a dozen scoring chances while Jordan crafted only a couple of attractive moves.
Sahukhala of Nepal, named in the starting lineup, put up a powerful and impressive show. However, he squandered a couple of chances as well. In the 44th minute he failed to hit the ball from the box after brilliantly beating two defenders. In the 35th minute also he was cleared by defenders in the box.
Nepal had nearly doubled the tally in the 46th minute when Anil Gurung´s low header rebounded from the base of the pole. Jumanu Rai hit inches wide from the six-yard box in the 81st minute and skipper Thapa´s header in Nirajan Khadka´s corner flicked by Rohit Chand sailed above the bar in the 35th. Khadka´s long range shot in the 71st minute sailed inches above bar.
Anas Hijah´s powerful freekick shot for Jordan in the 14th minute was punched by goalie Chemjong, and Baha Suleiman´s volley in a rebound went wide. Similarly, defender Chand, as a last man, made a brilliant tackle to clear Suleiman in one-on-one position.
"We dominated the show and every player played fantastic," said Roberts adding, "I have asked the boys to play from the soul for the country and the people and they did it. We also missed a couple of scoring chances." Roberts also lauded the home supporters.
Birthday boy Khawas
Thursday was a special day for Bharat Khawas. The Nepal Police Club striker turned 20 on the day and also scored a goal to help the home team earn a 1-1 draw against Jordan.
"I am very much happy today and I want to dedicate it to my teammates, coach and all football fans," Khawas told Republica. "The result was possible due to the support of all Nepalis and I would like to congratulate them." Khawas, who came in as a 66th minute replacement for Biraj Maharjan, scored the equalizer in the 80th minute.
It was Khawas´ third goal for the national team in 10 international appearances.
"I made a telephone call to my mother after the match. My parents were very much delighted," Khawas said.
"You did a great job, keep making the country proud," Khawas quoted his mother as telling him. "Probably this is the greatest day of my life as a player," he added.
Nepal climbed 12 position higher in the new FIFA ranking. Nepal was previously 148 and the newest ranking has taken them to 136. This will certainly be a positive news since last time they were humiliated by Jordan. May be Nepal will take some encouragement from this news along with the support of home fans they can get better results this Thursday.
Nepal is now highest ranked South Asian team with Bangladesh and India following on 147 and 153 respectively. Bangladesh has climbed 16 spots above while India has fallen 6 position below from their previous ranking. Nepal higher position is due to their previous results against East Timor despite losing against Jordan. Likewise Nepal ranks 20th among Asian countries.
