The 22-member Nepali team comprises 17 players and five officials. Kumar Katuwal is the coach of the team and Bimala Paudel is the manager. Pramila Singh Shrestha, Pravin Kumar Yadav and Keshav Kumar Karki are the officials accompanying the team.[break]
Three regular players of Nepal´s national squad will miss the friendlies. Skipper Jamuna Gurung and forward Anjali Waiba have been left out due to injuries while defender Tulasa Singh did not join the team citing personal reasons.
In Gurung´s absence, Chandra Bhandari will wear the captain´s armband for the second time. Bhandari had led the team to an 8-0 win over Kuwait during an an international friendly in January. Gurung was out of action for eight months following her knee surgery in June last year while Waiba has been sidelined due to ankle injury.
According to coach Katuwal, the national squad has undergone preparations for two weeks for the friendlies. "We had two weeks of preparations for the friendlies and are in good shape to play. We are technically, tactically and physically sound," said Katuwal.
Describing the home team as a comparatively weaker side, Katuwal opined, "I have learnt that Qatar had two months of preparations for the matches. But I hope to beat them by a margin of four or five goals."
Nepal´s skipper Bhandari, the forward of Nepal Police Club, opined that the absence of the three regular players including Gurung would not make much difference. "Though they are all vital members and their absence will be felt, we have alternatives."
Nepal is ranked 99th in the FIFA Women´s World Rankings and Qatar is in the 112th position. ANFA officials bade farewell to the team at its office in Satdobato on Wednesday. Speaking at the farewell ceremony, ANFA President Ganesh Thapa informed that ANFA is mulling to include the U-14 national football team for the first time in international women´s tournament.
Related story
President Paudel leaves for Kathmandu from Doha
