Nepal men’s football team bade farewell

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 11: The Nepal Men’s National Football Team has been officially bid farewell ahead of their upcoming international fixtures against Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The farewell ceremony was held on Monday by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). Youth and Sports Minister Babu Gupta, along with ANFA officials, handed over the national flag and extended best wishes to the team.

Nepal will face Bangladesh in an international friendly on 13 November. After the match, the team will travel to Malaysia to play their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier on 18 November.

Following the resignation of head coach Matt Ross, ANFA appointed technical director Hari Khadka as interim head coach. Khadka has already announced the final squad, with Kiran Chemjong named as captain.

Along with Kiran, Bishal Sunar, Deep Karki, Abhishek Limbu, Aditya Shakya, Ananta Tamang, Anjan Bista, Arik Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Dinesh Henjan, Dipesh Gurung, Gillespye Jung Karki, Kushal Deuba, Laken Limbu, Mani Kumar Lama, Manish Dangi, Rohit Chand, Rohan Karki, Sanish Shrestha, Subash Bam, Sumit Shrestha, Suman Shrestha, and Yogesh Gurung are other names in the final squad.

Talks between ANFA, NFPA cancelled

The scheduled meeting between ANFA and the Nepal Football Players’ Association (NFPA) on Monday did not take place. The NFPA had requested the meeting be broadcast live, but ANFA declined. As a result, the NFPA boycotted the talks.

Last Thursday, the NFPA staged a protest demanding that the A Division League begin on the date approved by ANFA’s general assembly. They warned of further protests if a confirmed schedule was not presented within a week.

ANFA had invited the Players’ Association for talks via a statement issued on Sunday. However, after rejecting the live broadcast request, the delegation led by NFPA President Bikram Lama submitted a seven-point demand letter and walked out. The letter was handed to ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai.

Despite the disagreement, the NFPA thanked ANFA for showing interest in the players’ concerns and had arrived at ANFA’s Satdobato office to take part in the dialogue.

Earlier in the day, the NFPA posted on social media urging ANFA to allow live coverage of the meeting for transparency and public awareness.

It has also been reported that Youth and Sports Minister Babu Gupta has called for a joint discussion on Tuesday. The meeting will include ANFA, club representatives, the Players’ Association, and current and former national team captains.