Nepal´s Polish coach Jack Stefanowski, who had fielded six new players during his first match as national team coach on Wednesday, said that he will come up with a new line-up for the second match.[break]
"I will use a different line-up in the next match," said the Polish coach during the post-match conference following his side´s 1-0 defeat to Pakistan. He has taken the friendlies as an experiment for players selection and preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers to be held in Kathmandu next month. Nepal has been drawn in Group D and Pakistan in Group B for the Challenge Cup qualifiers.
After the defeat in the first match, Nepal will be under pressure to win the second friendly. It was Nepal´s first defeat against Pakistan since going down 2-0 in a friendly held in Pokhara in 2007. Of the 12 matches played against Pakistan so far, Nepal has won five, drawn four and lost three matches.
Among 30 players currently undergoing closed camp training, 13 are yet to be tested by the coach. Some of the influential players like Bijay Gurung, Raju Tamang, Anil Gurung and Jumanu Rai were left out of the squad in the last match. Striker Deepak Rai is also likely to make his debut on Saturday. Goalkeepers Ritesh Thapa and Bikesh Kutu, midfielders Anil Ojha, Nawayug Shrestha and Sulav Maskey are among other players likely to play on Saturday.
The match will be vital for both the teams as a favorable result would boost their confidence ahead of the AFC Challenge Cup. Nepal, as always, is likely to have the advantage of home supporters and home ground while the Pakistani players will have physical advantage.
Meanwhile, visitor Pakistan, which is in high spirits after beating Nepal, is likely to make some changes in the squad. Pakistan coach Zavisa Milosavljevic said, "I will give chance to some new players in the next match."
Pakistan will be eyeing a second consecutive win on Saturday. "Nepal played better than us today, but we won and result is what matters in football," Milosavljevic had said during the post-match conference after his side´s 1-0 injury time win on Wednesday.
Nepal´s coach Stefanowski, meanwhile, held a different view. "Performance is what matters to me. More than the result I am concerned with performance. Players can be tested only through matches," Stefanowski had said while reducing the players to 31 from a total of 49 on Monday.
Sagar Thapa on verge of making history
National football team captain Sagar Thapa will reach the 50-match milestone for Nepal if he is fielded in the second friendly against Pakistan on Saturday. Thapa marked his debut for the national team during the second leg of Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam in Inchen, South Korea in 2003.
Thapa had replaced Ananta Thapa in the 43rd minute of the match. Thapa, the libero of the national team, got the captain´s armband against Kyrgyzstan during the AFC Challenge Cup in March 2009 in Kathmandu. The match had ended 1-1. Thapa has led the national team in 27 matches since.
Nepal´s probable starting XI
Goalkeeper: Kiran Chemjong
Defenders: Sagar Thapa, Biraj Maharjan, Sabindra Shrestha, Saroj Dahal
Midfielders: Bijay Gurung, Nawayug Shrestha, Raju Tamang, Anil Ojha
Forwards: Deepak Rai, Anil Gurung
Nepal vs Pakistan: Head-to-head
- 1985 Nepal 2-2 Pakistan 2nd SAF Games (Dhaka)
- 1987 Nepal 0-0 Pakistan Olympic Qualifiers (Nepal)
- 1987 Nepal 1-0 Pakistan Olympic Qualifiers (China)
- 1989 Nepal 0-0 Pakistan 4th SAF Games (Pakistan)
- 1995 Nepal 2-0 Pakistan 2nd SAARC Gold Cup (Sri Lanka)
- 1997 Nepal 0-2 Pakistan 1st SAFF Championship (Kathmandu)
- 1999 Nepal 3-1 Pakistan 8th SAFF Games (Nepal)
- 2007 Nepal 2-1 Pakistan Int´l Friendly (Nepal)
- 2007 Nepal 0-2 Pakistan Int´l Friendly (Nepal)
- 2008 Nepal 4-1 Pakistan 5th SAFF Championship (Maldives)
- 2011 Nepal 1-1 Pakistan 7th SAFF Championship (India)
- 2013 Nepal 0-1 Pakistan Int´l Friendly (Kathmandu)
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