New-look Nepal harbouring uninformed hopes

• Nepal slumped to all-time low in 2016
• Himalayan side have bounced behind to lay 169th
• Now in a hunt for lass AFC Asian Cup qualification

August’s book of a FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking saw Nepal, sitting among a reduce reaches of a tellurian ladder, recover a place they mislaid a month ago to lapse to 169th.

This smallest of moves might demeanour common compared to a South Asians’ 38-place stand in Dec 1993 when they achieved their top ranking of 124th. However, it comes as a thoughtfulness of their plain swell done on a universe pecking sequence over a past twenty months.

They have been navigating an considerable ceiling turn of late, that has seen a alpine republic rebound behind from their all-time low of 196th. That tour began in Jan 2016, in a arise of their catastrophic debate in a 2015 SAFF Championship.

Under Bal Gopal Maharjan, a Nepalese began final year with a bang, remaining undefeated to win a 2016 Bangabandhu Cup – their initial informal pretension in 23 years. An eight-place ascendance to 188 saw their ceiling arena start to take shape.

After Japanese manager Koji Gyotoku took over, a team’s swell did not hasten. Notably, underneath a former Shimizu S-Pulse and Bhutan boss, Nepal done story in final November’s initial AFC Solidarity Cup, clinching their lass Asian title.

FT: Nepal 1 – 0 Macau

Nepal crowned #AFCSolidarityCup champions!

Report: https://t.co/9yihlHSxBj#TheAFC #OAOG #Football #Asia pic.twitter.com/VfKaAiZ6mn

— The-AFC.com (@theafcdotcom) November 15, 2016

Hopes of lass Asian Cup qualification
That success hermetic their place in a 2019 AFC Asian Cup subordinate third round, where they are grouped with a likes of Philippines, Yemen and Tajikistan. Despite losing to a Philippines by 4-1 in a opener, Gyotoku’s charges stood organisation and hold Yemen to a goalless pull to squeeze their initial point. With a streamer span advancing to a continental finals in a United Arab Emirates, a Nepalese, who have never seemed during a Asian Cup, are unexpected nurturing picturesque hopes of a lass qualification. 

Bimal Magar, a 19-year-old goal-scoring expert and seen as a country’s hottest prospect, could be a one to beam them there. Despite his proposal age, a teen assimilated a inhabitant group 5 years ago and has given racked adult 5 general goals, dual of that during their jubilant Solidarity Cup campaign.

Behind him, associate teen Anjan Bista has been providing a pushing force in midfield alongside immature Heman Gurung. But campaign-hardened defender Biraj Maharjan continues to competition a captain’s armband, while 29-year-old striker Bharat Khawas lends his important knowledge too. With a group finely threaded by aged and new, Nepal are some-more than able of springing a warn or dual in their query to strech UAE.

Next adult is a double-header opposite bottom side Tajikistan, with Nepal personification horde on 5 Sep before streamer north on 10 October. To ready for a essential back-to-back meetings, a group trafficked to Japan final week for an abroad training camp. A array of warm-up matches have been arranged, including friendlies opposite Gamba Osaka’s U-23 and Vissel Kobe’s U-18 teams.

“Since we took assign of a Nepal National team, we have always suspicion of training camps in Japan,” pronounced Gyotoku. “Now my hopes have finally materialised. we am assured that Nepal will put in good performances opposite Tajikistan.”

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/news/y=2017/m=8/news=new-look-nepal-harbouring-fresh-hopes-2904314.html