Is Nepali football on the brink of change or caught in a rut?
Nepali footballers celebrate with the fans after winning the Prime Minister’s Three Nations Cup in March 2023. Nepal played its first international football match on October 13, 1972 in Beijing. Despite scoring two goals, Nepal was defeated by China who scored six. Furthermore, YB Ghale holds the distinction of being recognised as the first Nepali footballer to score an international goal. This happened during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India, where he netted a goal against Kuwait. If you want to research the roots of domestic football in Nepal, you have to go back to the Rana Regime. The Tribhuvan Challenge Shield, inaugurated in 1948, stands as one of the oldest football tournaments in the country. Soon the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the governing body overseeing football activities in Nepal, was established in 1951. Currently, Nepali football finds itself at a crucial juncture, facing a do-or-die situation. The challenges and dynamics present in contempo...