Kathmandu, April 3 — When Pema Dolma Lama netted the first international goal for Nepal’s women’s national team against Uzbekistan at the 1999 AFC Women’s Championship in the Philippines, she likely didn’t anticipate how significantly women’s soccer would rise since then.

“It’s an incredible achievement,” Dolma shared with the Post. “The women’s team now has their sights set on the World Cup in 2031.”

Soccer has long held a special place in Nepal’s heart, captivating the country more than any other game. However, the enthusiasm garnered from men’s soccer is now finding new expression in women’s teams.

Nevertheless, qualifying for the World Cup remains an ambitious aspiration for a nation such as Nepal. Nonetheless, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), which oversees football in the country, has stated that measures are being implemented to enhance women’s football so that they can realize this objective.

“Nepal has never participated in the FIFA World Cup for men’s soccer; it always seemed out of reach,” stated Suresh Shah, an official from the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). “However, the women’s team could make this dream come true now. We currently have an exceptional group of female players, and ANFA is fully committed to seizing this opportunity.”

Nepal has the chance to secure a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2031 if they qualify for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup. As Shah stated, “Should the women’s team participate in the Asian Cup, Nepal would then be part of the World Cup qualifying process. Therefore, our primary objective at present is advancing through the Asian Cup Qualifiers.”

ANFA acknowledges that achieving victory in the AFC Qualifying Group won’t be straightforward. “To ensure we make full use of this opportunity, ANFA has initiated steps to employ an overseas coach who holds a UEFA Pro Licence,” Shah informed the Post.

ANFA announced that they will initiate applications for the position of head coach for Nepal’s national women’s team shortly. This decision came during an official gathering focused on women’s soccer, held on Tuesday with relevant ANFA representatives. The meeting followed the directives set forth by the ANFA Executive Committee aimed at formulating a comprehensive strategy to foster the growth of women’s football.

In the meantime, the national squad, coached by Rajendra Tamang during the four-nation tournament in February, finds itself without a mentor at present.

Tamang has been named the interim coach for tournaments. This position is presently unoccupied,” stated Shah. “It’s not that we underestimate Nepali coaches, but since our objectives are ambitious, we require someone with greater international experience.

ANFA emphasized that they have a limited timeframe to recruit an overseas coach since the AFC Qualifiers start on June 23. Additionally, the national players will be occupied with the Lumbini Cup: Women’s Football Tournament in Nepalgunj from April 3 to 13.

“ANFA has also opted to enhance the selection process for the national team and closed camps,” stated Shah. “Our aim is to have our most talented players on the field to reach the major arena. In addition to hiring a high-caliber coach, ANFA will focus on improving dietary options and training facilities for the team.”

It wouldn’t be the first instance where a foreign coach has led the women’s football team in Nepal. The position was previously held by Australia’s Gary Phillips, who served as head coach from 2021 to 2022. However, his tenure did not result in the desired outcomes for the team.

So far, Nepal’s women’s team has not secured victory in any international tournaments. Their loss to Myanmar in February during the International Women’s Championship final marked their 13th unsuccessful attempt at winning a championship finale. Notably, they have been defeated in the final round of the SAFF Women’s Championship six separate occasions.

Introducing a foreign coach doesn’t guarantee immediate improvement,” stated Dolma, who serves as an executive board member of ANFA. “However, it does instill hope. Our team is already operating at an international standard, so we require a coach who can keep up with this level.”

Three Nepalese national team members are competing in premier foreign leagues. Among these, goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba plays in Greece, while forward Rekha Poudel competes in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, Sabitra Bhandari, known as “Samba” and recognized as Nepal’s most prolific goalscorer, is featured in France’s top-tier D1 Arkema league for En Avant Guingamp.

Despite being newly appointed as Nepal’s men’s team coach on March 3, Matt Ross commended the female players from Nepal. He expressed his belief that many athletes, such as playmaker Preeti Rai, have what it takes to compete at higher levels.

Shah mentioned that ANFA is exploring various methods to motivate female players, planning a franchised league, and aiming to elevate women’s football to new levels.

Asian Cup Qualifiers

On March 27, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the lottery for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. In this event, 34 participating teams were split into six groups consisting of four teams each and two groups with five teams each.

Nepal was placed in Group H along with Uzbekistan, Laos, and Sri Lanka. The matches for this group will be hosted by Uzbekistan, featuring a single round-robin format where each team competes against one another once. The team accumulating the most points through these fixtures will secure qualification for the Asian Cup in Australia.

Nepal is set to begin their matches against Laos on June 29, followed by Sri Lanka on July 2, and Uzbekistan on July 5. These games will all take place in Tashkent, which serves as the capital of Uzbekistan.

According to the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, Nepal ranks as the second-strongest team in Group H. With an overall ranking of 99 out of more than 196 nations, their primary competitor during the qualification rounds will likely be Uzbekistan, which holds the 50th spot. Laos and Sri Lanka follow with rankings of 107 and 158, respectively.

“ANFA is additionally advocating for friendly matches at a higher level with more influential countries because these games will serve as valuable preparations for the Asian Cup qualifiers,” stated Shah.

This marks just the second occasion that Nepal has participated in the Asian Qualifiers. During the previous qualifying round in 2022, Nepal was defeated by the Philippines and tied with Hong Kong, ultimately failing to advance further.

Different this time,” asserted Dolma, who concurrently serves as the president of the ANFA Women’s Association. “Our team has gained invaluable experience since last time. Making it to the Asian Cup is our priority, followed by embarking on Mission 2027-31.

ANFA has scheduled Mission 2027-31 to commence following Nepal’s qualification for the Asian tournament. The initiative is headed by ANFA Vice-President Dipak Khatiwada. Asia holds six spots in the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup.