Nepal U-23 football team to return home today

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 12: The Nepal U-23 national football team, currently in  Tajikistan for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, will return home on Friday following unexpected travel disruptions.

According to the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the team’s itinerary was postponed by a day due to complications with international flights.

All flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) were suspended on Tuesday after unrest linked to Gen Z protests created a volatile situation. Although operations resumed on Wednesday afternoon, Nepal’s scheduled return via Dubai later that night was disrupted.

FlyDubai was forced to reschedule the team’s flight to Kathmandu due to overcrowding at Dubai International Airport, causing considerable inconvenience, ANFA said.

With no hotel rooms available in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, the players were stranded at the airport overnight. They were later relocated to a hotel near the FC Istiklol training ground.

ANFA confirmed that the rescheduled flight is expected to depart at 4 AM on Friday.

Under head coach Nabin Neupane, Nepal endured a disappointing campaign, losing all three matches in Group ‘K’. They suffered a 4–0 defeat to hosts Tajikistan in their opening fixture, followed by a 4–2 loss to Syria. Their final match ended in a 4–0 defeat to the Philippines.

Bangladesh football team returns 

The Bangladesh national football team, which was in Nepal for a series of international friendly matches, has returned home after being stranded due to political unrest.

The team departed on Thursday morning, having been unable to leave on Tuesday because of violent demonstrations in Kathmandu.

According to ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah, the squad was flown back aboard a special aircraft provided by the Bangladeshi military.

The first friendly match ended in a goalless draw on 6 September, while the second fixture, scheduled for 9 September, was cancelled due to unrest in the capital.

Although the team had planned to return immediately after the cancellation, the deteriorating situation forced them to remain in Nepal longer than expected.