The 34 years old player is quite excited at the moment as this is one of the most significant periods in his football career. The player who has won 48 caps till date is still known to be a reliable defender. He is likely to be a first choice player in all the games during the SAFF Championship that will be held in Dhaka from January 29 to February 9, 2010, because the captain is also considered to be best one among last defenders.
Nepal will play three games in the group round. The responsibility of leading the national team at a time when he is nearing a milestone in his personal career is worth remembering in his life. He wants to make this opportunity memorable by winning the title of the championship for Nepal.
“I had never thought I would ever get close to winning fifty caps when I debuted in the national team but with my consistent efforts and the support from my coaches and teammates, I have arrived at this point,” he told myrepublica.com and added, “I´ll continue playing as long as my health allows me.”
Expressing satisfaction over his career, he said, “SAFF Championship is important for our country as well as for me personally. We haven´t won the championship till now. Winning the championship and 50 caps is my dream.”
Rakesh has a record of playing full time as the first choice player in 34 consecutive games since his debut in the Bangkok ASIAD in 1998.
The responsibility of captaincy fell upon his shoulders since the 2007 World Cup qualifiers against Oman. The Nepali team qualified for the AFC Challenge Cup under his leadership last year. Although he was not able to gain much success in other international matches, the Nepali Reds were able to the win the title of the Prime Minister Cup International Invitational Football Competition held earlier this year under his captaincy.
“AFC Challenge Cup and SAFF Championship are the most important games for us. We must win at least one of them in order to revive our image as we have not been able to win any international competition in the recent days. Our wish is to fulfill this aim by winning the SAFF Championship. Our team is working very hard for it,” said Rakesh.
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