Nepali women's football, which has been sluggish lately, is going to be running again. In the month of Falgun last year, Nepali girls who were supposed to be on the field did not get any match exposure since they returned home after playing the WAFF women's football championship 2024.
On the one hand, the main goal of playing the Women's World Cup was approaching, on the other hand, the parent organization All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) was widely criticized for not being able to acclimate the girls to the SAFF Women's Championship 2024 kicking off this October.
Meanwhile, ANFA has sent 30 players to closed training. ANFA, which called for training on Thursday, issued a statement, but did not clearly reveal what the players were sent to prepare for. However, according to the information received by us, Nepali girls have been invited from Lebanon for the 4-nations invitational football tournament. Similarly, the team is also playing women's SAFF in October. The girls returned to training after 3 months in preparation for the same 4 nations cup and SAFF.
Lebanon is the same team that lost the final against Nepal in the final injury time in the WAF semi-final. When Priti Rai scored a goal in injury time for Nepal, Lebanon was defeated. It can be understood that Lebanon has invited our Nepali girls, who have shown high-quality sports skills throughout the competition, considering the audience's craze and popularity. Not only that, Lebanon also wants to take revenge for the semi-final through the same tournament.
In the Four Nations Cup, which will be held in Lebanon from Jestha 6 to June 16, when the hosts Lebanon and Nepal were decided, the confirmation ceremony for the other two countries was yet to take place. As understood, Lebanon had invited Nepal along with some other countries of South Asia and some countries under WAFF. Finally, the 6-times WAFF champion Jordan and 2022 SAFF champion Bangladesh are also going to participate in the competition.
Even though the participating teams have been finalized, the match fixtures and the schedules is said to be out till the first week of june.
According to the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the closed training of the Nepali team for the competition will start from Sunday, at the ANFA complex. Coach Rajendra Tamang has sent a total of 30 players to the closed camp, including the players who performed well in the recently concluded National Women's League selection. In which Priti Rai, who was injured in the WAFF final, returned, Sabitra Bhandari Samba, who was forced to miss the final match for France's top division league, will also return to the field.
Record striker Sabitra Bhandari has returned home from France this week for the tournament, while regular captain Renuka Nagarkote and Saru Limbu, who lost WAFF due to injury, have also made a place in the starting team. Similarly, Tamang will also give opportunities to the players who performed well in the women's league selection held in Surkhet. Lumbini's captain Mamta Pun and Tulsa Bohra, who scored four goals, and goalkeeper Sushila Kumari Chaudhary have made it. Tulsa Bohra, who became the highest scorer of the tournament, did not get a place.
The desire of the general audience to watch the European style game of the girls with Dake for the 4 nations cup as an invited team by Lebanon is about to be fulfilled.
Here are the 30 players preliminary squad for the FIFA Four Nations Invitational Series, Lebanon:
Goalkeepers: Anjila Tumbapo Subba, Anjana Rana Magar, Usha Nath, Sushila Kumari Chaudhary
Defenders: Amrita Jaisi, Gita Rana, Hira Kumari Bhujel, Bimala BK, Nisha Thokar, Samikshya Ghimire, Puja Rana, Sabina Chaudhary, Ganga Gurung
Midfielders: Anita Basnet, Amisha Karki, Anita KC, Preeti Rai, Dipa Shahi, Bimala Chaudhary, Chandra Bhandari, Saraswoti Hamal, Renuka Nagarkote, Saru Limbu, Manmaya Damai, Tulsa Bohara
Forwards: Sabitra Bhandari, Rekha Poudel, Rashmi Kumari Ghising, Sabita Rana Magar, Mamata Pun
Tags:
football women football