The Nepalese squad is presently practicing in Pokhara in preparation for the upcoming the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship which will be held in Maldives. Nepal has never won this competition before, but this time it is considered a strong contender.
Coach Abdullah Al Mutairi has stated unequivocally that if Nepal loses, he would accept responsibility, and if Nepal wins by the grace of God, the players should be credited.
Coach Abdullah, who had originally called 50 players for training, has now whittled the number down to 28. In an interview with the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), he stated, "We're doing OK. We've cut the number of players to 28, including three U-23 players." A total of 26 players are training for the SAFF tournament as well as a friendly match against India. We'll play Maldives in the first game of the SAFF Championship, and it'll be a tough match because it'll be the first game.”
"They are hosting the SAFF Championship of this year and defending champions as well. There is also a challenge with the Nepali squad because we have never won the SAFF Championship before, but let's not put the players under any unnecessary pressure. If we lose the SAFF Championship, it will be my fault; if we win, it will be entirely up to and all the credit goes to Nepali players.'
"Playing two games against India will be an excellent warm-up for the SAFF Championship." In the team that competed in the World Cup qualifications and today, several changes have occurred. I'm preparing with the future of Nepali football in mind, and training them in such a way hoping to obtain a professional license soon. 'All of the players have now completed their preparations for the SAFF Championship.'
"We will use a fresh technique and plan in the game versus India." I'm not concerned with the outcome; instead, I'm concerned with the players' excellent performance. Last June, we played four games and improved our Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rankings. That outcome is beneficial to me and to all of us. I'm happy of myself, and this is our final chance before the Asian Cup draw. We have a chance to improve our standings and win the cup for the first time.
The Nepali football team will begin their trip with a match against the former champion Maldives. Nepal will play Maldives in the first match of the tournament on 30th of July, 2021, which runs from July 30 to August 11. The second match will be contested on 22nd of August, 2021 against Sri Lanka, followed by India on 6th of August, 2021 and Bangladesh on 8th of August, 2021. The tournament's final match will be played on 11th of August, 2021.
Only five countries, including Nepal, will compete in the SAFF Championship this year. FIFA has banned Pakistani football, and Bhutan will not send their squad because to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the project was submitted to Nepal, the Maldives was given to host the SAFF Championship this year at the last minute.
