Bigger challenge awaits Nepal

AFC U-19 Women’s Qualfier 2

A file photo of Nepali U-19 women’s football team in Chonburi, Thailand. Photo Courtesy:

Oct 31, 2018-

Nepal passed the first hurdle in their bid to qualify for the AFC U-19 Championship on Sunday but bigger challenges lie ahead for them in April next year.

Nepal earned a ticket to the second Qualifier despite finishing runners-up to hosts Thailand in Qualifying 1 in Chonburi. Nepal, Thailand and India all finished their group tied on six points but the hosts topped the group by virtue of scoring the highest three goals among the teams tied on six points. Despite finishing second in Group ‘B’, Nepal got the automatic qualification to the second round as Thailand did not require to play the Qualifier 2. Their berth in the tournament proper was already secured even before competing in the Qualifier 1 by virtue of being hosts of the Finals.

Nepal lost to Thailand 3-0 but won 2-0 against India and 9-0 against Pakistan. They join traditional Asian sporting powerhouses Australia, South Korea, Iran, Vietnam, Myanmar, Lebanon and Uzbekistan in the second round and coach Hari Om Shrestha accepted his team has a bleak prospect of advancing further from there.

The eight teams in Qualifier 2 will be divided into two groups with only the winners and runners-up from each pool to join Japan, North Korea and China and hosts Thailand in the tournament proper next year. The Qualifier 2 has been scheduled for April 22-30 with the venue yet to be decided.

Shrestha is aware of the fact that all the other seven teams in Qualifier 2 are much better than Nepal. “It’s always a big challenge to play against the likes of South Korea and Australia. To put in some fight against such teams, we really need to work hard for longer period of time,” said Shrestha.

“I am looking to strengthen the squad and will discuss the matter with All Nepal Football Association (ANFA),” said Shrestha adding that his team desperately needs a quality striker and a right winger. Despite facing the grim prospect in the second round, Shrestha still harbours some hopes. “Nothing is impossible in football. It all depends on how we prepare ourselves, mentally and physically, for the tournament,” said Shrestha.

Director of the ‘A’ Division League’s Sanjiv Mishra, considered a football expert by many, agrees with coach Shrestha putting Qualifier 2 teams much better than Nepal looking at their rich sporting history. “Fitness and positive intent will be key while taking on such opponents,” said Mishra adding that better international exposure would be hugely beneficial going into such a competitive event.

“Some teams in Qualifier 2 are almost par with India, the team we beat in Qualifier 1, in terms of quality if we look at the senior level. But historically our team has a tendency of playing without self belief at the international level. So we need to look for ways to provide these players as much international exposure as possible before embarking on Qualifier 2 campaign,” said Mishra.

Mishra also calls for the proper selection procedure to form any such age-group teams. “The current U-19 team was hand-picked after their performance in the senior national football tournament. “ANFA would have got much stronger squad had they formed the team through U-19 national tournament,” said Mishra.

With Qualifier 2 still six months away, Mishra believes ANFA should hold U-19 national tournament, among other initiatives, to get a better squad for the second round.