Published on 12:00 AM, November 06, 2020

Nepal arrive to end football’s long hiatus

Nepal national football team arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday to play two international friendlies against Bangladesh on November 13 and 17 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. This is the first time that a foreign team have come to the country since TC Sports Club of Maldives visited in March this year for their AFC Cup fixture against Bashundhara Kings before the outbreak of Covid-19. Photo: BFF
Sports Reporter

Putting behind the anxiety when some of their players tested positive for Covid-19, the Nepal national football team yesterday landed in Dhaka to play two FIFA international friendlies against hosts Bangladesh.

Nepal had to leave behind seven footballers – five of whom tested positive during training in Nepal and two who tested positive shortly before the team flew out.Nepal however did not face much problems creating the 25-member squad, even though it is also missing seven members of the squad for the World Cup Qualifiers tie against Kuwait in Kathmandu in September 2019.

Notable among those missing are overseas leagues players -- goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, midfielder Rohit Chand and Abhishek Rijal. Bangladesh have not yet announced their final squad, but midfielder Mamumul Islam was ruled out of the two friendlies due to a fracture on his left hand.  

Both Bangladesh and Nepal have been out of action since the coronavirus outbreak in the subcontinent in March. Both are however all set to return to competitive football through two matches on Nov 13 and 17.

They will also renew their rivalry for the first time in more than two years, having last played an international when hosts Bangladesh lost 0-2 to Nepal in the SAFF Championship in September, 2018. However, the countries' Olympic teams faced off against each other last December during the South Asian Games.

After arriving here, Nepal coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said the two friendlies would help both sides and they are looking forward to performing well, instead of thinking much about the outcomes.

"Nepal government gave us the authority to play two FIFA friendlies, which will be good for the development of Nepal football. It is also good for Nepal for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers at home. I think this match will benefit both Bangladesh and Nepal and that's why we have come here," said Maharjan, who was once a familiar face in Bangladesh's domestic league.

Maharjan, who guided Nepal U-23 team to the Bangabandhu Gold Cup title in 2016, said he is focusing on both performance and results.

"Focus will be on good performance and good results but I am not talking about wins or losses… we are going to give our best because we have come here for friendlies, and it is also a matter of the FIFA ranking," said Maharjan, who played for Brothers Union from 1991 to 1993 and coached the same team in 2016-17.

The Nepal football team are supposed to start training from Saturday, having undergone Covid-19 tests yesterday.

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