The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced a 23-member national football team under the captaincy of goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Malaysia and an international friendly match against Bangladesh.
Head coach Hari Khadka, who has taken charge of the men’s national team for the first time, included one new player, Dipesh Gurung, a central midfielder making his debut appearance for Nepal. Attacking midfielder Aditya Shakya has also made a return to the squad.
The newly appointed coach retained most of the regular players while leaving out Bimal Pandey and attacking midfielder Kritishratna Chhunju. Khadka took over after former head coach Matt Ross resigned on October 29. Ross had earlier excluded Aditya Shakya from the squad for both legs against Vietnam during the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Following a three-day open selection camp, Coach Hari finalized his 23-member squad by trimming 12 players. Among them, rising midfielder Dipesh Gurung, who recently represented Nepal in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers held in Tajikistan, earned a spot in the senior team.
The midfield will feature Dipesh Gurung, Laken Limbu, Rohan Karki, Manikumar Lama, Erika Bishwakarma, Manish Dangi, Yogesh Gurung, and Kushal Deuba, while the defense will be led by Ananta Tamang, Sanish Shrestha, Sumit Shrestha, Suman Shrestha, Abhishek Limbu, and Rohit Chand.
In the forward line, Anjan Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Gillespie Jung Karki, Subash Bam Thakuri, and Dinesh Henjan will take charge of the attack. Notably, Anjan Bista, alongside coach Hari Khadka, is Nepal’s joint all-time top scorer in international football.
The goalkeeping unit includes Kiran Chemjong (captain), Deep Karki, and Bishal Sunar.
Nepal will play an international friendly against Bangladesh on November 13, followed by the Asian Cup qualifier against Malaysia five days later.
Although Nepal is already out of contention for Asian Cup qualification, the team has two matches remaining, having lost all four of their previous games in the ongoing qualifiers.
About the Author
