KATHMANDU, Oct 30: Hit by recent arrest of match fixing allegations, Nepali national football team started preparations of the Ninth SAFF Championship to be held in Trivandrum, India, from December 23 to January 5. The national team resumed training for the biennial regional tournament from Friday after Dashain break.
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Five footballers including captain Sagar Thapa, vice captain Sandip Rai goalie Ritesh Thapa and former Nepali international Anjan KC and Bikash Singh Chhetri are currently in Police custody after being accused of fixing international fixtures under financial influence of bookies based in Malaysia and Singapore.
Newly appointed national team coach Patrick Aussems has called 39 players to the training soon after the completion of National League football tournament. The players were given Dashain break after training two days. The French coach had left for France during the break and has returned back on Thursday.
Only 35 players joined the training camp out of 39 players called. Bijay Gurung of Three Star called in for the training has declared that he will not play from the national team. Manang Marshyangdi Club winger Sujal Shrestha and goalie Bishal Shrestha and Tribhuvan Army Club midfielder Tek Bahadur Budathoki also did not attend the training session due to injury concern.
Sagar, Sandip and Ritesh, alleged players of match fixing also did not join the training as they are provisionally banned from all activities related to football until the investigation into match fixing is completed.
Aussems had picked the players on the basis of their performance in the National League.
Nepal is pitted alongside with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in group A and group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan. In the last edition of the tournament held at Dasharath Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal was grouped alongside with India and Pakistan in the group stage. Nepal had defeated India 2-1 and held Pakistan to 1-1 draw.
In the current edition, Nepal shall begin its campaign taking on Sri Lanka on December 23, Pakistan two days later and vie with host India on December 27. It will be the first encounter of Nepal against Sri Lanka in SAFF Championship after 18 years. Earlier, Nepal had played against the same opponent in 1997 and 1999 during first and second editions of tournament. In the first edition, Nepal had earned 3-1 win and in the next edition, Nepal earned 3-2 win riding on hat-trick of Naresh Joshi.
Nepal has never made to the final of the tournament since it began 18 years ago. Nepal, however, has made to the semifinal thrice including in 1999, 2011 and 2013, the last edition held in Kathmandu.
The coaching team headed by Aussems includes six members - technical director Dhurba KC, ANFA coaches Kumar Katuwal, Upendra Man Singh, Bal Gopal Maharjan and Hari Khadka.
Players called in first phase training
Goalkeeper: Kiran Chemjong, Bikesh Kutu, Bishal Shrestha, Amrit Chaudhary
Defender: Ranjit Dhimal, Rabin Dhimal, Amit Tamang, Devendra Tamang, Jeetendra Karki, Ramesh Dangal, Ananta Tamang, Aditya Chaudhary, Yuddha Shahi, Biraj Maharjan, Ajeet Bhandari, Dinesh Rajbanshi
Midfielder: Jagjeet Shrestha, Sujal Shrestha, Bishwas Shrestha, Rohit Chand, Heman Gurung, Rajendra Rawal, Shiva Shrestha, Nabin Lama, Bikram Lama, Bishar Rai, Yogesh Gurung, Bijay Gurung, Tanka Basnet, Tek Bahadur Budathoki
Forward: Binod Karki, Anjan Bista, Nawayug Shrestha, Ranjan Bista, Anil Gurung, Bimal Gharti Magar, Karna Limbu, Deepa Rai, Bharat Khawas
