Nepal’s SAFF dream lives on despite football crisis

The Nepali women’s football team has been training for the past several days in preparation for the 8th edition of the SAFF Women’s Championship, to be held in Goa, India.

Even as ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) faces suspension by the National Sports Council (NSC) and the threat of suspension from FIFA, the world’s highest football authority, the Nepali women’s team is pressing ahead with their preparation, with their sights firmly set on winning the SAFF title.

Although Nepal has reached the final in 6 out of the 7 previous editions, they have always ended up as runners-up, and that unfulfilled desire for the championship remains.

This time, the SAFF Women’s Championship will be held from May 25 to June 5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, India.

Six South Asian teams, all except Pakistan, are confirmed to compete, and the match schedule has already been published.

However, Nepal’s internal football disputes could weigh on players mentally before they take the field.

Women’s team head coach Nabin Neupane stated that the internal conflict between the federation and the government should not be visible on the pitch. He appealed to the government and concerned authorities to create a clean, sports-friendly environment, as the players carry big dreams of representing their country and winning medals.

Nepal’s women’s team has played more than a dozen finals but has never won the title, leaving the team perennially hungry for the trophy.

In this context, coach Neupane likened the SAFF Women’s Championship to a World Cup for Nepal, saying the team’s entire focus is on winning the title.

“The SAFF Championship is a very prestigious tournament for Nepal. For me, it’s like the World Cup,” Neupane says to Onlinekhabar. “In friendly matches, we focus on experimentation and exposure, but in SAFF, we take the field with our best team. Our only goal here is to get a good result.”

Neupane also shared that he never won the SAFF Championship as a player himself, and his goal now, as a coach, is to finally bring that title home. He noted that the responsibilities are very different in the two roles:

“The roles of player and coach are quite different. As a coach, you have to take responsibility for both wins and losses.”

Regarding Nepal’s failure to win the SAFF title so far, Neupane made it clear that his primary responsibility and goal is to bring that trophy to Nepal. He said the team is currently working hard in training toward that very objective.

Senior team members Anita Basnet, Hira Bhujel, and Gita Rana also confirmed that with the current mix of senior and junior players, Nepal’s goal is simply to win the SAFF Championship.

“Preparation is going well. There’s a mix of senior and junior players. The expectation is results — becoming champions,” Basnet says in conversation with ANFA.

Gita and Hira also expressed confidence that Nepal can win the SAFF title this time. They noted that the women’s team’s continuous participation in Gold Cup tournaments will prove beneficial.

Absence of Samba and Sabita

Nepal’s captain and key player, star striker Sabitra Bhandari (Samba), is currently sidelined due to injury. She sustained the injury while playing in the Australian league, underwent surgery in New Zealand, and is currently in Qatar for rehabilitation.

Similarly, Sabita Rana is also out following knee surgery. Both players are crucial members of the Nepali squad, and their absence will be felt.

Coach Neupane and the players have acknowledged this openly. Neupane referred to Samba and Sabita as the team’s “spinal cord,” but said this absence creates an opportunity for other players to prove themselves.

“Samba and Sabita reached their current heights through hard work. The new players must take them as examples and make the most of this opportunity,” Neupane says.

Senior player Anita Basnet echoed the sentiment: “Sabitra and Sabita are important players; their absence will definitely be felt. But we have new sisters, Rekha, Rashmi, and others coming up. Everyone is working hard. The gap will be there, but players are also stepping in to fill it.”

Gita and Hira similarly said new players will get the chance to fill the spots left by Samba and Sabita. Junior player Jennifer Rana also says, “Without Samba and Sabita, the team will be at a disadvantage. But young players like us need to make the most of the opportunity.”

She added that her role, whether playing for the Army club or the national team, has always been to score goals, and she is focused on exactly that in training.

The real test: The semifinals

With only 6 teams in this edition of the SAFF Women’s Championship, each group has 3 teams. Nepal’s group includes relatively weaker teams, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, so the group stage is expected to be more manageable for Nepal.

However, the semifinals will bring a tougher challenge, as the other group (Group B) contains defending champion Bangladesh, five-time champion India, and the Maldives. Nepal will most likely face either India or Bangladesh in the semis.

Junior player Jennifer Rana noted:

“Coach Navin is constantly telling us how to be aware technically. Bangladesh and India are high-pressure teams. We are focused on how to overcome that.”

Nepal has always been a title contender in South Asia, but has never managed to win. In three consecutive home-soil editions, Nepal reached the finals each time but lost, once to India and the last two times to Bangladesh in Kathmandu. This time, Nepal is playing away from home.

Amid all the uncertainty in Nepali football, simply getting to compete in the SAFF Women’s Championship will be a significant achievement in itself. On top of that, performing well and winning the title remains the team’s challenge.

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