By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax,VA

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.