Coach Kishor Kumar KC and his deputy Kumar Katuwal declared the women´s national team to be captained by Jamuna Gurung. Anjali Waiba, Ghim Kumari Gurung, Krishna Khatri, Yashoda Lama, Rina Gubaju, Nisha Bohara and Lila Lamgade are the new faces in the national team.[break]
The team includes nine players from Nepal APF Club, six from Nepal Police Club and four from Army Club. Bohara from Kailali is the only player from outside the departmental teams.
According to coach Katuwal, there are three goalkeepers, four forwards, six midfielders and seven defenders in the team. "Of the seven defenders, Chandra Bhandari would also play forward while Rina Gubaju midfielder," said Katuwal.
ANFA had called in 46 players in the first phase of training after the completion of Ncell Women´s National Football Tournament last month in Bara and Rautahat. The two coaches had trimmed the numbers twice and brought it down to 24 last week. Ranjana Darji and Mira Maharjan, who were in the national squad during the South Asian Games 2010, are likely to make it in the final squad. Likewise, Man Maya Magar and Menuka Giri also failed to qualify for the final squad.
Nepal is slated in group B of the tournament along with Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan while India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan complete the group A of the tournament organized by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). Nepal will take on Pakistan on September 8 in its first match and the Maldives on September 10. Nepal will lock horns with Afghanistan on September 12 in its last group stage match.
Nepal is the runner-up of the first edition of SAFF Women´s Championship and coach KC hope for one-step better result this time. "We are clear about our target. We want to lift the trophy this time," said KC.
"We are focused on the group stage match in our first step. We´ll analyze other opponents we could meet in the knockout stage during the tournament," replied KC after journalists asked him about the possible India-Nepal final and his strategies against India. India is the defending champion of the tournament.
KC claimed that his team is a balanced team. "We are a balanced team in every department of the game. However, the girls are yet to learn some tactical aspects," said KC. "However, I´m confident that they would learn it before flying to Sri Lanka," he added.
The Nepali team will fly to Sri Lanka on September 4.
Meanwhile, ANFA CEO Indraman Tuladhar said that the association has spent Rs 3 million for the preparations and participation of the team in the tournament. "Ncell is sponsor of the women´s national team. We will be spending Rs 3 million for the women´s team," said Tuladhar.
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