The Nepali women’s football team once again suffered heartbreak after losing the Four Nations Cup final to Myanmar. This defeat marks their 13th loss in all finals of international matches, a painful record that has earned them the nickname “perennial runners-up.” Reaching the finals 13 times, however, is no mean feat, which hints that our girls fight hard on the field. They have skill, passion, and hunger. Despite this, they have lost finals on many occasions because our players lack high-class match temperaments and consistent exposure against top-flying teams. Unlike their male counterparts, who have struggled to make an impact beyond South Asia, Nepali women’s players are full of potential, as they have consistently put up respectable performances in several international matches. Players like Sabitra Bhandari 'Samba,' Preeti Rai, Bimala BK, Sabita Rana Magar, Renuka Nagarkoti, Rekha Paudel, captain and goalkeeper Anjila Tumba Tumbapo, and a couple of others have shown individual brilliance, proving that Nepal possesses talent that can compete at a high level with top-ranked countries. The only flip side: they just fail to cross the final hurdles. The disappointing results in finals, however, offer opportunities to learn lessons for better outcomes in the days ahead.
The blame for Nepali women's repeated failures in finals cannot be placed solely on the players or the coaching staff. The core issue is that there has not been a well-structured development plan for women's football. The national team has been running on passion and individual ability rather than a good system that promotes young players to grow and ultimately play high-intensity games. One of the greatest challenges facing women's football in Nepal is the ineptness and self-serving nature of officials of the football governing body, ANFA, and the National Sports Council officials who are frequently accused of corruption and mismanagement. Rather than working towards the long-term development of football, they are more concerned with clinging to power and paying less attention to football promotion. This has resulted in the Nepali teams and players lacking essential resources, perks, incentives, training programs, and exposure to international competitions. Domestic leagues, which are essential for players' development, are quite infrequent due to internal strife in ANFA. The lack of regular competition means that even the most talented players do not get the match experience required to compete against top-tier teams.
To do or not to do household chores
Despite such disappointments, enthusiasm and popularity of Nepalese women's football remain extremely high within the nation. The massive turnout at the Dashrath Stadium to watch the Four Nations Cup, with over a full house of 15,000 fans attending the final, attested to the fact that there is strong backing for the women's team. This is something which ANFA can take advantage of through investing in grassroots development, conducting local competitions, and providing the national team with regular international exposure. Given the proper backing, the women's team has the potential to be a powerful force in Asia, if not globally, in a matter of years. The loss to Myanmar should be a wake-up call for Nepali football authorities. The Nepali players have the potential, the Nepali fans are enthusiastic, and the medal-starved country is ever-ready to embrace a new era in women’s football. But this will only happen if ANFA comes up with sound plans and programs targeting and realizing the women's football team. It must stop treating women’s football as an 'also-ran' and start giving it the attention and resources it truly deserves. The perennial runners-up tag will be a thing of the past, but only through systematic change and ANFA and the government's unwavering commitment towards the growth of the women's football team.
