Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT) will be taking on relegation battlers of the previous edition Armed Police Force (APF) in the opener and champion Nepal Police Club will start its campaign for title defense locking horns with newly promoted Bauddha Football Club. [break]
However, there have been a lot of changes in the current edition as compared to the last one. Eight new teams promoted to the first division including one from mofussil -- Koilapani Polstar of Nawalparasi -- will be participating in the top flight for the first time.
The last edition was played in double round robin league with altogether 12 teams participating while the current edition, which will also qualify top eight teams for the national league, will be played under single leg featuring 153 matches in total.
Not only in the format of league, there also have been lot of changes in the squad of every club and some new teams are also expected to throw a tough challenge.
“Our aim will be to lift the title,” Yeti Himalayan Sherpa Club President Karma Tshering Sherpa said a couple of days ago. Yeti Himalayan Sherpa is the debutant club in the top flight football. It won three titles in major events of the season after their recognition in the top flight earlier this year.
Defending champion Police this time is expected to face Herculean task defending its title. According to Police coach Birat Krishna Shrestha nine players of the squad are injured. Police was also unable to put up an impressive show in the recently concluded AFC President’s Cup group C qualifiers and finished at the bottom of table at the home ground. Besides this, they were also unable to win a single title of knockout football this season despite participating in about half a dozen matches across the country. However, Police is looking forward to defend its title.
Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) after spending huge amount in players and coach will also be eying no less than the title. After finishing fifth in the previous season, MMC came up with an ambitious plan and filled the squad with star players of Nepali football fraternity.
Santosh Sahukhala, was bought by the MMC for record fee of Rs 600,000 annually. He was the highest scorer in the last league with 19 goals under his belt. He had netted four goals twice. There are only five players in MMC squad from the 21-member squad of the last edition including skipper Tashi Tshering, goalie Bishal Shrestha, Shiva Shrestha, Ganesh Khadka and Palsang Lama.
After the last league, MMC have studded the team with stars like Anjan KC, Sandeep Rai, Nirajan Khadka, Bijay Rai, Dipak Bhusal, Sujal Shrestha and others.
The runners up of previous edition Three Star club despite witnessing departure of its key players like Sahukhala, KC, Rai, Gurung and Vishan Gauchan and coach Bal Gopal Maharjan do not seem to lose its previous tune and form. The restructured team according to a football analyst is more balanced than previous squad. The current squad consists of young stars like Buddha Chemjong, Yogesh Gurung, Bijay Dhimal and experienced one like Rajkumar Ghising and Sanjeev Budhathoki.
Departmental team APF after narrowly avoiding relegation in the previous season also has filled the squad with morenew faces including rising stars like Nirajan Malla, Noor Raj Kafle and also have experienced players like Ganesh Lawati and Jeevan Sinkeman.
About half a dozen teams have already signed foreign players in the squad including Jawalakhel, Himalayan Sherpa, New Road Team (NRT), Three Star, RCT and other.
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