Another blow to Nepali football
By Sushil Thapa
(November 2003)

Unquestionably, the last nine years has been extremely tough for die hard Nepali football fans who have witnessed the game slip from bad to worse. Such has been the slump that there is hardly any reason for us to become optimistic about the future of Nepali football.

Our latest debacle at the Asia Cup in South Korea and Oman has once again cast a pale shadow over our football system which in fact is saddled with shortcomings.  The manner in which our national team got butchered by South Korea, Oman and Vietnam was a huge disappointment to all.

Personally, I was not taken aback by the result for the simple reason I had foreseen it. Apparently, the team flew into Korea inadequately prepared to take on opponents who have improved tremendously, over the years.  As anticipated we were outplayed by the technically superior opposition in all departments of the game. The boys did put up an improved showing in the second leg, letting in fewer goals but was not good enough to make their fans smile.

To me it looked though we participated just for the sake of participation. 

Banning ourselves from international tournaments is not the brightest idea to which I am totally opposed to. It would be doing an injustice to players should we choose that course of path. Instead we have to render maximum international exposure as possible to our national teams regardless of the situation. Having said so, making international appearances like in the recently concluded Asia Cup in the most casual manner is meaningless and deplorable. We cannot afford to let our investment go down the drain and convert ourselves the laughing stock of the world. For any tourney small or big, proper training is imperative to stand or face the challenge. Otherwise, we have no business taking part in any competition no matter how important it is. Sadly, All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has always turned a blind eye to these facts and never thought along those lines. In my opinion the margin of defeat against superior opponents does not really matter long as the team delivers' its best. Putting blame on players and making them scapegoats for the outcome is unfair. Accountable and responsible for the chaotic state of football is ANFA, undeniably. One feels very sorry for players who have taken to the game with cherished dreams to win accolades for the nation and themselves on the international front. But they have fallen victims to the jaundiced system and left to lead an uncertain career. The uncertainty that looms overhead has prompted frustrated footballers to vanish in thin air during international participation for a more secure life.

It was laughable to hear Ganesh Thapa undermine and target Vietnam for victory prior to the championship. I wonder what went through his mind when Vietnam dumped Nepal with ease and shocked Korea in the second leg. As a matter of fact, we have to take lessons from them and ANFA officials  need to assess their success in recent years, specially having started from the scratch. On the contrary we stand where we were twenty years ago, a fact hard to digest. Now comes the Asian World Cup qualifiers against Guam. Already the buzz is that we have a golden chance to make it to the next round considering our all win record against the opposition. But that does not guarantee our victory, especially taking into consideration our patchy performances  and poor preparations.  

Development and results wise we have achieved nothing significant to take pride of. Instead we have watched the unfortunate power scramble among various factions for control of ANFA, the root cause of decline in football. The way things stand today it is most unlikely that the game will make a come back not at least in the distant future. Tons of ideas, suggestions and advices have been dished out by sports writers and football goers regarding the upliftment of the game but all in vain. Indications are that the warring factions are not prepared to make compromises which in fact is very disturbing. As long as these groups remain active I am afraid nothing is going to materialize.

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