Nepal Readies for a Thrilling Season of Football Across All Levels
Kathmandu, April 29 - Nepalese football is set for an exciting period as supporters have numerous opportunities to cheer for various national squads in significant forthcoming fixtures at both the Asian and South Asian tiers. Over the next few months, the male and female junior and senior teams will face off against several rivals.
Among various championships, the nearest event is the SAFF U19 Men's Championship taking place in India during May. This competition involves six teams such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, starting on May 9th and concluding with the finale on May 18th.
Nepal will face their group opponents-host India and Sri Lanka-on May 11 and 13, respectively. Nepal's young boys would require at least one win in the group to enter the playoffs. The tournament will take place at the Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh.
Next up for the junior boys will be the senior men's team, who are set to take on Laos in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers on June 10. Before traveling to Laos, the senior men’s squad will play a friendly match against Hong Kong, China, on June 5.
In the qualifiers, Nepal will compete against Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam using a double round-robin system. They suffered a defeat in their initial match against Malaysia with a score of 0-2 on March 25. Their upcoming encounter with Laos marks their second game out of the total six matches.
Following their return from Laos, the men's squad has no further matches scheduled apart from the Asian Cup Qualifiers. Once back from Laos, Nepal will resume qualifying rounds on October 9th against Vietnam. Subsequently, the second phase of these qualifiers will commence when Vietnam travels to face Nepal on October 14th.
In the meantime, following the men's team playing successive matches overseas against Hong Kong and Laos, supporters will be able to root for the women's national team, who will also face Laos.
The veteran female squad, currently awaiting a UEFA Pro-License certified coach, will face Laos in their opening match of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifying round on June 29th.
Prior to that, Nepal will travel to Thailand for a pair of friendlies. According to what was disclosed on Sunday, the women’s squad will face off in a closed-door match on May 30, followed by another game on June 2 which will be open to spectators.
The latest game added to the roster is the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers. According to the group draw announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Monday, Nepal has been placed in Group A alongside four other teams. This qualifying round will feature 25 participating teams divided into six groups—five with four teams each and one with five.
The teams Nepal will face include hosts Bhutan, along with Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea. These matches will be played in a single round-robin format, starting on August 2 and concluding on August 10.
ANFA announces players for closed camp
Of the four tournaments, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced a closed camp for three teams-senior men's, senior women's and U19 boys.
To send the senior men’s team to Hong Kong and Laos, head coach Matt Ross selected 30 players on Monday. Additionally, Ross has introduced several modifications to the original roster compared to the lineup he chose for the previous match against Malaysia and Singapore.
The newcomers to the exclusive group include Amrit Shrestha, Kuldip Karki, Kushal Deuba, Santosh Khatri, Srijan Raj, Sudip Gurung, Suraj Jeu Thakuri, and Yogesh Gurung. They have taken over from Abhishek Baral, Tshering Lama, Randip Poudel, Anjan Rai, Aashish Gurung, Samir Tamang, Dinesh Henjan, and Ashok Khawas.
“I noticed several emerging players in the Nepal Super League,” Ross stated during a sideline interview at the conclusion of the competition’s third season on Saturday. “These players weren’t previously on my watchlist,” he continued, noting the significant likelihood that some fresh contenders would be invited to join the national team training camp.
Similarly, as ANFA is in the midst of appointing a new head coach for the senior women’s team, Rajendra Tamang has stepped in temporarily. On Sunday, Tamang announced a closed training camp for 48 selected players, aiming at preparations for the upcoming Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers in May.
Concerning the SAFF U-19 Championship, ANFA has named Urjan Shrestha as the head coach. On Saturday, Shrestha completed his selection of a 23-player team.
Subash Bam Thakuri, previously the captain of the U16 and U17 squads and the one who played his first senior match against Singapore last month, stands as the sole player to be selected for both the U-19 and national teams.