South Asia‘s premier women football tourney, the South Asian Federation Football Championship is all set to unwrap on October 17th in Kathmandu.
The tournament held every two years returns to the Himalayan kingdom for the third straight time.It may be recalled that Nepal had hosted the competition in 2019 and 2022.
The championship is being contested by the seven national teams of South Asia, Nepal,India,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Pakistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka
.
India,Nepal and Bangladesh are the top three FIFA ranked teams.Five times winners of the South Asian Federation Football Championship (SAFFC)India is 68th in world rankings and the highest ranked team in the tournament.
Followed by Nepal and Bangladesh ranked 99 and 139 respectively. The three teams are top contenders for the title yet again.
The league cum knockout championship features India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in one group, while the other group consists of hosts Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
The tournament gets underway with the inaugural fixture between India and Pakistan on October 17th
Home team Nepal starts their campaign against Bhutan on Thursday(October 18th).
India have been the most dominant team in the tournament.However,they faced an unexpected setback in the 2022 edition failing to qualify for the final.
Definitely this time they will be looking to bounce back with hopes of reclaiming their SAFFC dominance.
They, however, cannot take their success for granted.They have to be at their very best and put together a dominant performance to come out triumphant.
They start the tournament as the overwhelming favorites and the outfit to beat once again.
Undoubtedly both Nepal and Bangladesh have closed the gap on India when it comes to performance,competitiveness and making inroads into the game.
In the previous edition both Bangladesh and Nepal succeeded in breaking India’s shackles for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Bangladesh registered a comprehensive 3-0 win in the group stage, and Nepal eked out a 1-0 victory in the semifinals.
They have to display consistency, aggression,solid teamwork and go full throttle,leaving no stone unturned to give India a run for their money.
Given Bangladesh’s recent performances and results in different age groups regional competitions,they have improved significantly.
They swept the annual and biannual regional youth and senior SAFF competitions and have remained unbeaten.
In the 2022 SAFFC they wrote history by winning their first championship.They are eyeing a second title for sure.
They will require a strong performance from start to finish to the defense of their title.There is virtually no room for complacency whatsoever.
Nepal is still without a championship belt. A record five times they have finished in second place.
In the sixth edition of the competition they raised hopes of ending the championship drought,following their semifinal win(the first ever) over India.
That did not transpire as they were outperformed by Bangladesh in the final.
Having finished runners up in the last two editions,let’s hope that the third time’s a charm for Team Nepal.
Over the last two years the national team has played in numerous tournaments, AFC Olympic Qualifiers,Asian Games and WAFF Women’s Championship, including friendly matches.
The team’s cohesion and dynamics ought to have improved.To add, the players did get the
much needed playing time.
Prolific goal scorer Sabitra Bhandari who plays for French A division side En Avant Guingamp spearheads the team attack. She has to be at the top of her game and live up to her goal scoring reputation.
Abu Dhabi Country Club player Rekha Paudel,known for her scoring ability must find her scoring touch.
The duo’s form is critical and expected to play a pivotal role for the success of the team.
Another player to watch is team skipper and custodian Anjila Tumbapo Subba who is on the verge of signing for a Greek Club.
Her leadership responsibilities will play a big part in motivating and inspiring players to get them going throughout the competition.
The team is deep in talent no doubt.It’s a blend of experienced and promising young players.
This is yet another big chance for them to rise to greatness and deliver the desired result.
They have to take their performance to the next level and make the most of the opportunity by
cashing in on the home advantage.
What they need is,confidence, commitment,consistency,positive mind set and
competitiveness,coupled with individual brilliance and collective effort.
It is imperative that they get off to a winning start against Bhutan to build early momentum and
confidence.Given their clear edge over the opposition they have everything to lose going into the game.
The players deserve applause for their efforts,dedication,sacrifice and determination to play the
sport and bring glory to the country despite the sorry state of women football in the country.
Women football development remains underfunded and continues to move at a snail’s pace. It implies that it is not a priority for All Nepal Football Association.
As a result,our women national teams in all age groups are lagging far behind the rest of the world in terms of development.
It will be interesting to see what kind of progression and growth Pakistan,Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan have made. They might not pose a threat but they cannot be taken lightly.
Playing conditions of the field in Dasarath stadium, the venue for the tournament will be under the scanner again.
It’s hoped that the pitch is playable,does not pose an injury risk to players and impact the quality of play.
By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax,VA
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