The third edition of Nepal Super League, unarguably, the country’s biggest and most prestigious domestic football tournament concluded in Kathmandu recently.
The championship featured seven teams, and a record high of forty- two and four foreign players and coaches respectively. Heavy favorites Lalitpur City (LC)) lived up to expectations and successfully defended the title at the expense of Pokhara Thunders(PT) 2-1 in a fiercely fought final.
The winners faced a determined and resilient opposition who put up an aggressive and fighting performance all the way to the end. They fended off an energetic challenge from PT and ended up victorious for the second straight season. LC created and sustained early momentum,following their 2-2 draw against cross city rivals Kathmandu RayZrs Football Club in the opener. They rode on the momentum and performed consistently throughout the competition,ensuring success for themselves.More importantly,they created a record of sorts by becoming the only team to remain undefeated.
In sharp contrast, PT bounced back dramatically from a shaky start to put themselves in contention for the title. After two successive defeats,they had a mountain to climb to turn things around.Their chances of reaching the final looked very slim. However,they got their act together and mojo back to overcome the challenge. They played superbly in the crucial playoff matches, registering wins over Football Club Chitwan and Dhangadhi Football Club. Third time proved no different for Dhangadhi Football Club,runners-up in the first two editions of the championship. Despite showing early promise,they failed to make headway in the playoffs losing two matches,which abruptly ended their championship hopes. Despite being touted as one of the frontrunners for the title,Kathmandu RayZrs disappointed by failing to deliver on the high level of expectations and making it to the playoffs.
They were far from their best and paid dearly for their inconsistent and sloppy performance in the critical stages of the competition. Football Club Chitwan did well to finish in the top three in the league stage.They qualified for the playoffs round but were unable to capitalize on the chance to progress to the final round.They were unimpressive in their performance and badly struggled to find a way to win. Jhapa Football Club and Butwal Lumbini Football Club had a poor tournament, finishing at the bottom of the standings sixth and seventh respectively. Both teams struggled throughout and ended up playing second fiddle.They paid a heavy price for their mediocre and listless performance,which contributed significantly to their downfall. The third edition of Nepal’s first and only franchise -based tournament was a big success in terms of high spectators turnout ,effective management and strong marketing strategies.
As a special guest, legendary footballer Brazilian Roberto Carlos graced the Nepal Super League.His presence generated quite a stir in football fans and provided the competition further visibility through extensive media coverage, nationally and internationally. Speaking of goal scorers,foreign players topped the chart,and Ahmad Hijazi with 5 goals was the tournament’s highest scorer.
Nine local players scored a goal each. It was heartening to see experienced local player Ayush Ghalan(PT) voted player of the tournament. Young players with high potential in the likes of Emerging Player winner Santosh Khatri(LC),Energetic Player of the competition Mani Kumar Lama (LC), Aron Thapa Magar(Jhapa Football Club) and many others are certainly ones to watch in the future. The franchises involved in Nepal Super League can play a much bigger role and make a lasting impact if they seriously take the development of domestic football.
They can make substantial investment in infrastructure by building their own modern stadiums,advanced training facilities and youth academies. The fact of the matter is that Nepal football continues to face major challenges due to lack of necessary infrastructure and resources. The absence of world -class stadiums and training facilities,qualified coaches and a professional structure of domestic football, coupled with inadequate funding, and limited grassroots level development continue to deter the progress of football.
All Nepal Football Association(ANFA) is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game and changing the landscape of domestic football on all fronts of development. We have witnessed many ANFA administrations come and go over the years. Unfortunately,time and again, they have failed in their responsibilities to deliver positive and meaningful changes. Nepal football is desperately in need of an administration that is totally committed and capable of delivering on the obligations it has taken on.If not,then the stagnant state of Nepal football will remain unchanged.
By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax, VA, USA
