Nepal national football team
Nickname(s) | The Gorkhalis | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | All Nepal Football Association | ||
Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
Sub-confederation | SAFF (South Asia) | ||
Head coach | Abdullah Al Mutairi | ||
Captain | Kiran Chemjong | ||
Most caps | Kiran Chemjong (74) | ||
Top scorer | Hari Khadka Nirajan Rayamajhi (13) | ||
Home stadium | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium | ||
FIFA code | NEP | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 168 | ||
Highest | 121 (December 1993 – February 1994) | ||
Lowest | 196 (January 2016) | ||
First international | |||
China 6–2 Nepal (Beijing, China; 13 October 1972)[1] | |||
Biggest win | |||
Nepal 7–0 Bhutan (Kathmandu, Nepal; 26 September 1999)[2] | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
South Korea 16–0 Nepal (Incheon, South Korea; 29 September 2003)[1] | |||
SAFF Championship | |||
Appearances | 13 (first in 1993) | ||
Best result | Third place (1993) | ||
AFC Solidarity Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2016) | ||
Best result | Champions (2016) | ||
AFC Challenge Cup | |||
Appearances | 3 (first in 2006) | ||
Best result | Semi-finals (2006) |
The Nepal national football team (Nepali: नेपाल राष्ट्रिय फुटबल टीम) represents Nepal in International men's football, and is governed by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). A member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Nepali football team plays their home games at Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu. Steve Martin is currently the Manager.
History[]
Origins (1921–1963)[]
Football in Nepal had been a national sport as early as 1921 during the Rana dynasty. Several clubs were formed and several domestic tournaments such as the Ram Janaki Cup (1934), and the Tribhuvan Challenge Shield (1948) were organized. In 1951, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) was founded, and this saw the formation of the Nepal national football team.
Emergence (1963–1970)[]
In 1963, Nepal appeared in their first international away game in the Aga Khan Gold Cup; the predecessor of the President's Gold Cup, Asia Champion Club Tournament, and Asian Club Championship (now rebranded as the AFC Champions League) after various associations (including ANFA) insisted on entering national teams instead of clubs.[4] After Nepal entered an 18-man squad, ANFA flew the players to Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to play their first match. Nepal faced Western Railway, a Pakistani team in the Bangabandhu National Stadium. However, the match was lost 0–7. Two days later, Nepal played the Dhaka Wonders, a local East Pakistani team. Though this match was also lost 0–7. After two disastrous games, Nepal was sure to be knocked out of the preliminary round. The final game was against Dhaka Police Club, though, despite the previous heavy losses, Nepal managed to win the game with a single goal. The goal scorer, Prakash Bikram Shah, became the first Nepali to score on foreign soil.[5] The goal took place at the 19th minute.
Modernisation & golden generation (1970–1999)[]
In 1970, Nepal became a member of FIFA. Two years later, Nepal joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). With this, Nepal played their first international match on 13 October 1972, where they lost 2–6 to the People's Republic of China. The first Nepali footballer to score the first international goal for Nepal in a FIFA-recognized tournament was Y.B Ghale. Ghale scored against Kuwait in the 1982 Asian Games. Despite the popularity of the game, the lack of appropriate footballing infrastructure and the dearth of trainers, technicians, and other facilities have always been obstacles in the way of the Nepali FA's endeavors to raise the standard of football among the players of a nation that has an official per capita income of just The woes of Nepali football, however, have been immensely relieved by FIFA's determination to promote football in Nepal through youth programs.
In the mid-1980s, FIFA provided financial assistance and sent a number of coaches to help Nepal's federation to launch its first youth program, which was geared towards spotting talent at the grassroots level (such as in schools, for example) and providing young players with the necessary know-how, both on and off the pitch. The initial five-year plan helped half the players groomed under the first youth program to find a place in the national side, and the team that won the 2 gold medals in the first and sixth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games mostly consisted of the players from that youth programme. Despite Nepal being considered among the lower-ranked nations, Nepal has been largely successful in the South Asian Games where they won two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
Nepal hosted several notable friendlies from teams outside the Asian Confederation during the mid to late 80s, against Denmark in 1986; USSR and East Germany in 1987; and West Germany in 1989.[6] While at the same time, Nepal still entered tournaments against club sides such as FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast in the 1989 ANFA Cup.
Nepal continued on with their winning ways through several minor tournaments which saw the nation showered with titles including the 1997 and 1998 Governor's Gold Cup, winning gold at the 1993 South Asian Games, and reaching 3rd place in the 1993 South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup (the first edition of the SAFF Championship).
Decline (2000–2009)[]
The Nepali football came across a forgettable two years from 2001 to 2003 when the row between two factions (government-backed and FIFA-backed) led Nepali football into deep trouble. Nepal faced a ban and therefore could not participate in any events and the rankings slipped heavily. The dispute was settled, but not before it contributed to pushing Nepali football backward. Nepal celebrated their 100th international football match in January 2003 when they played Bangladesh in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship. Nepal failed to make any real impact at the tournament. During its 22 years of international participation, the Nepali team has only played 26 nations outside of South Asia, but it has defeated all of the country's South Asian neighbors during various regional tournaments. Nepal also faced non-AFC teams in competitive tournaments such as Ghana U23 in the 1999 Bangabandhu Cup, and Kazakhstan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign (although Kazakhstan was a member of the AFC during this match).
Despite many attempts to raise the standard of football, the players of the resource-strapped nation have not been able to make their mark in international football beyond South Asia. In 2003 during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal's A national team suffered a number of heavy defeats in international matches outside of South Asia. In a match during the Asian Cup qualifying round in South Korea, the hosts scored 16 goals to no reply. In their six matches, Nepal conceded 45 goals and failed to hit the back of the net even once. However, the qualifying competition for the 2002 FIFA World Cup witnessed one of Nepal's best performances in international football, with the Gorkhalis securing two wins in four matches and scoring 13 goals in two matches against Macao and Iraq. But with the Nepali national and youth teams failing to achieve any noticeable success at the international level and FIFA introducing new age restriction systems in several international tournaments, Nepal recently decided to compete only in the FIFA World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers as well as the SAFF Championship until 2006.
Resurgence (2010–)[]
After the marquee appointments of Graham Roberts, Nepal had experienced a fair amount of success following the decade of decline. Nepal won Saff U-19 championship in 2015 and 3 major tournaments in 2016, the Bangabandhu Cup and the AFC Solidarity Cup and won a gold medal in 2016 South Asian Games. Nepal lost no match in 2016.[7][8]
Nepal managed a well performance in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, although the team was luckily chosen as replacement for Guam as Guam chose not to participate.[9] Nepal had two successful draws against much stronger Philippines and Yemen at home, both ended 0–0.[10][11] However, as the team lost to Tajikistan twice[12][13] and away loss to the Philippines[14] and Yemen,[15] the Nepalis failed to qualify to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Nepal participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification where they have to face strong Australia, Kuwait and Jordan, alongside minnows Chinese Taipei. The Nepalis only managed one single win over Chinese Taipei away 2–0, and was totally thrashed by the other opponents without scoring a goal after five matches.
Home stadium[]
The team's home ground is various around the nation one of the ground being Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. Holding 18,000 spectators all of which are beautifully seated. It is the biggest stadium in Nepal. It is named after , one of the martyrs of Nepal.
Most recently, the stadium was used as a primary venue for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup and the 2013 SAFF Championship, with the Halchowk Stadium hosting some of the matches as well.
Apart from sporting events, the stadium is also used as a music venue for cultural events with Bryan Adams being the most notable act that performed at the site.
Before the 2013 SAFF Championship in Nepal, the stadium underwent a heavy renovation that saw several improvements such as the expansion of seats from 20,000 to 28,000.
Team image[]
Nepal Red & Blue[]
During the ANFA Cup, the All Nepal Football Association occasionally entered two teams for Nepal; Nepal Red & Nepal Blue. This is very much akin to other South Asian teams such as Pakistan (Pakistan Green & Pakistan White, 1993 SAFF Championship; Pakistan Reds, 1976 Quaid-e-Azam exhibition matches), and Bangladesh (Bangladesh Red, ). Nepal Red was a selection of Nepali players that played as the full Nepal national football team. Whereas, Nepal Blue was effectively the B-team.[16][17]
Most of the Nepali top players play in the Nepal Red team, and it is also described as "the Nepal senior team", and is captained by the regular national team captain. While Nepal Blue is described as the "second string team".
Kit evolution[]
The national team's kit employs a tricolor of red, blue, and white to reflect the colors of the national flag of Nepal. With red being used for home matches, and blue for away. The pattern in some kits reflects the triangular shaping of the flag, namely the 2013 kit. Nepal's kits are mostly template kits, as opposed to a custom team-specific kit. This is because the Nepal national team isn't lucrative enough to afford kit partnership deals with manufacturers.
Very little is known about the history prior to 1998. However, during the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, the Nepali national team hired Bijay Shah to provide technical assistance to the squad, while also acting as the assistant coach. At the time, the team didn't have printed sportswear for the tournament. After printing makeshift kits, Bijay was inspired to start a T-shirt printing company known as , where through the partnership with a US printing company, and colleagues in South Korea, they produced their first batch of kits for the national team prior to the 1999 South Asian Games.[18]
Recent results and fixtures[]
Win Draw Loss
2020[]
2021[]
25 March Three Nations Cup Round Robin | Nepal | 0–0 | Kyrgyzstan U-23 | showKathmandu, Nepal |
27 March Three Nations Cup Round Robin | Nepal | 0–0 | Bangladesh | showKathmandu, Nepal |
29 March Three Nations Cup Final | Nepal | 2–1 | Bangladesh | showKathmandu, Nepal |
3 June 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nepal | 2–0 | Chinese Taipei | showKuwait City, Kuwait |
7 June 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nepal | 0–3 | Jordan | showKuwait City, Kuwait |
11 June 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nepal | 0–3 | Australia | showKuwait City, Kuwait |
Coaching staff[]
Head Coach | Abdullah Al Mutairi |
Assistant Coach(es) | |
Goalkeeping Coach | |
Technical Director | Gary Phillips |
Physio | |
Media Officer | |
Players[]
Current squad[]
The following players were selected for the friendly matches against India on 2 and 5 September 2021.[19]
Caps and goals correct as of 11 June 2021
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Kiran Chemjong (captain) | 20 March 1990 | 72 | 0 | Dhangadhi F.C. | |
GK | Bikesh Kuthu | 24 June 1993 | 9 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | |
GK | 9 January 1998 | 0 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | ||
GK | 24 January 2000 | 0 | 0 | Lalitpur City | ||
DF | Rohit Chand | 1 March 1992 | 68 | 0 | Persija Jakarta | |
DF | Ananta Tamang | 17 January 1998 | 37 | 2 | Three Star Club | |
DF | Suman Aryal | 9 March 1996 | 17 | 0 | Tribhuwan Army F.C. | |
DF | Dinesh Rajbanshi | 4 April 1998 | 15 | 0 | Dhangadhi F.C. | |
DF | Gautam Shrestha | 21 February 2000 | 4 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | |
MF | Sujal Shrestha | 5 February 1993 | 37 | 2 | Pokhara Thunders | |
MF | Bishal Rai | 6 June 1993 | 28 | 3 | Dhangadhi F.C. | |
MF | Sunil Bal | 1 January 1998 | 17 | 1 | Biratnagar City | |
FW | Suman Lama | 9 March 1996 | 13 | 0 | Butwal Lumbini F.C. | |
MF | Santosh Tamang | 6 August 1994 | 11 | 0 | Biratnagar City | |
MF | Tej Tamang | 14 February 1998 | 11 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | |
MF | Pujan Uparkoti | 9 May 1996 | 6 | 0 | Dhangadhi F.C. | |
MF | Surajju Thakuri | 19 December 2000 | 1 | 0 | Biratnagar City | |
MF | Kamal Thapa | 20 September 1998 | 2 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | |
MF | Nitin Thapa | 7 February 2002 | 1 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | |
MF | Rajan Gurung | 0 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | ||
MF | 0 | 0 | Brigade Boys | |||
FW | Anjan Bista | 15 May 1998 | 41 | 5 | Lalitpur City F.C. | |
FW | Nawayug Shrestha | 8 June 1990 | 34 | 7 | Pokhara Thunders | |
FW | Abhishek Rijal | 29 January 2000 | 11 | 1 | Butwal Lumbini F.C. | |
FW | Manish Dangi | 17 September 2001 | 5 | 1 | Biratnagar City | |
FW | Aashish Lama | 1 December 1996 | 2 | 0 | Butwal Lumbini F.C. | |
MF | Ayush Ghalan | 21 February 2004 | 2 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders |
Recent call-ups[]
- The following players have been called up to a Nepal squad in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | 9 August 1992 | 0 | 0 | Butwal Lumbini F.C. | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
DF | 29 July 2001 | 4 | 0 | F.C. Chitwan | v. Australia; 11 June 2021 | |
DF | Biraj MaharjanRET | 18 November 1990 | 75 | 1 | Machhindra | 2021 Three Nations Cup |
DF | Rajin Dhimal | 4 April 1991 | 11 | 0 | Biratnagar City | 2021 Three Nations Cup |
DF | Ajit Bhandari | 7 February 1994 | 6 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | 2021 Three Nations Cup |
DF | 21 February 1998 | 1 | 0 | Chyasal Youth Club | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
DF | 26 January 1997 | 1 | 0 | Dhangadhi F.C. | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
DF | 8 March 1990 | 1 | 0 | Biratnagar City | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
DF | 19 September 1986 | 0 | 0 | Jawalakhel YC | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
MF | 17 March 2000 | 7 | 0 | Lalitpur City F.C. | v. Australia; 11 June 2021 | |
MF | 18 June 1993 | 13 | 0 | Pokhara Thunders | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
MF | 1 December 1998 | 1 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
MF | 20 July 1996 | 1 | 0 | Unattached | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
MF | Bikram Lama | 23 February 1989 | 31 | 0 | Three Star Club | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 |
MF | 3 November 2000 | 1 | 0 | Butwal Lumbini F.C. | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
MF | 7 September 1991 | 1 | 0 | Sankata BSC | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
FW | Bharat Khawas | 16 April 1992 | 57 | 10 | F.C. Chitwan | 2021 Three Nations Cup |
FW | 20 August 2002 | 3 | 0 | Dhangadhi F.C. | 2021 Three Nations Cup | |
FW | 5 November 1992 | 5 | 0 | Lalitpur City | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 | |
FW | George Prince Karki | 15 May 1995 | 3 | 0 | F.C. Chitwan | v. Bangladesh; 17 November 2020 |
INJ Withdrew due to injury |
Player records[]
- As of 11 June 2021[20]
- Players in bold are still active with Nepal.
Most appearances[]
|
Top goalscorers[]
|
Coaching history[]
Manager | Career | P | W | D | L | Win % | Competitions | Comment | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rudi Gutendorf | 1981–82 | — | − | − | − | — | 1982 Asian Games | [21] | |
Jochen Figge | 1984–85 | — | − | − | − | — | 1984 South Asian Games: Gold medalist | [22] | |
Rudi Gutendorf | 1986 | — | − | − | − | — | [21] | ||
Joe Kinnear | 1987 | — | − | − | − | — | 1987 South Asian Games: Silver medalist | [23] | |
Reinhard Fabisch | 1989 | — | − | − | − | — | [24][25] | ||
1989–91 | — | − | − | − | — | [26] | |||
Holger Obermann |
1991–93 | — | − | − | − | — | 1991 South Asian Games
1993 SAARC Gold Cup: Third place |
Although both Obermann and were heavily involved in the national team during these years, Obermann was hired by the All Nepal Football Association as a 'Technical Director'[27] | [28] |
1993–94 | — | − | − | − | — | 1993 South Asian Games: Gold medalist
1994 Asian Games |
|||
1995 | — | − | − | − | — | 1995 Bristol SAFF Gold Cup | |||
1995 | — | − | − | − | — | 1995 South Asian Games | |||
Bhim Thapa | 1996 | — | − | − | − | — | 1996 AFC Asian Cup: Failed to qualify | ||
1997 | — | − | − | − | — | 1998 FIFA World Cup: Failed to qualify | |||
1997 | — | − | − | − | — | 1997 SAFF Gold Cup | |||
Yoo Kee-Heung | 1998 | — | − | − | − | — | 1998 Asian Games | ||
Torsten Spittler | 1999 | — | − | − | − | — | 1999 SAFF Gold Cup: Fourth place | [29] | |
Stephen Constantine | 1999–01 | — | − | − | − | — | 1999 South Asian Games: Silver medalist 2000 ANFA Coca Cola Invitational Tournament: Finalist |
[30] | |
2001 | — | − | − | − | — | 2002 FIFA World Cup: Failed to qualify | |||
Yoo Kee-Heung | 2003 | — | − | − | − | — | 2003 SAFF Gold Cup: Group stage | ||
Toshihiko Shiozawa | 2005–06 | — | − | − | − | — | 2005 SAFF Gold Cup: Group stage | ||
Shyam Thapa | 2006–07 | — | − | − | − | — | 2006 AFC Challenge Cup: Semi-final 2010 FIFA World Cup: Failed to qualify |
[31] | |
Thomas Flath | 2008 | — | − | − | − | — | 2008 SAFF Championship: Group stage | [32] | |
2008 | — | − | − | − | — | 2008 AFC Challenge Cup: Group stage | [33] | ||
Krishna Thapa | 2008–09 | — | − | − | − | — | 2008 Merdeka Tournament: Group stage | [34] | |
2009 | — | − | − | − | — | 2009 Prime Minister's Invitational Tournament: Champions
2010 AFC Challenge Cup: Failed to qualify |
|||
Krishna Thapa | 2009–11 | — | − | − | − | — | 2009 SAFF Championship: Group stage | ||
Graham Roberts | 2011–12 | — | − | − | − | — | 2011 SAFF Championship: Semi-final 2014 FIFA World Cup: Failed to qualify 2012 AFC Challenge Cup: Group stage |
Reached Round 2 in the World Cup qualifiers for the first time | [35] |
Krishna Thapa | 2012 | — | − | − | − | — | 2012 Nehru Cup | [36] | |
Jack Stefanowski | 2013 | — | − | − | − | — | 2013 SAFF Championship: Semi-final 2014 AFC Challenge Cup: Failed to qualify |
||
Raju Kaji Shakya | 2014 | — | − | − | − | — | [37] | ||
Jack Stefanowski | 2014–15 | — | − | − | − | — | 2018 FIFA World Cup: Failed to qualify | [38] | |
Dhruba KC | 2015 | — | − | − | − | — | [39] | ||
Patrick Aussems | 2015–16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2015 SAFF Championship: Group stage | [40] | |
Bal Gopal Maharjan | 2016 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 2016 Bangabandhu Cup: Champions | Earned Nepal's first major title in 23 years | [41] |
Koji Gyotoku | 2016–2018 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 31 | 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup: Champions | Earned Nepal's first AFC title | [42] |
Bal Gopal Maharjan | 2018 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 2018 SAFF Championship: Semi-final 2018 Bangabandhu Cup: Group stage |
Interim Coach[43] | [44] |
Johan Kalin | 2019–2020[45] | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17 | [46] | ||
Bal Gopal Maharjan | 2020–21[45] | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |||
Abdullah Al Mutairi | 2021– | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 | [47] |
Competitive record[]
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
FIFA World Cup[]
FIFA World Cup finals record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
1930 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||||||
1934 | |||||||||||||||||||
1938 | |||||||||||||||||||
1950 | |||||||||||||||||||
1954 | |||||||||||||||||||
1958 | |||||||||||||||||||
1962 | |||||||||||||||||||
1966 | |||||||||||||||||||
1970 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
1974 | |||||||||||||||||||
1978 | |||||||||||||||||||
1982 | |||||||||||||||||||
1986 | Did not qualify | 3rd (Group 3A) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | −11 | 1 | |||||||||
1990 | 4th (Group 4) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | −28 | 0 | ||||||||||
1994 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
1998 | Did not qualify | 4th (Group 4) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 1 | |||||||||
2002 | 3rd (Group 6) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 6 | ||||||||||
2006 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
2010 | Did not qualify | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 | |||||||||
2014 | Round 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 7 | ||||||||||
2018 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | ||||||||||
2022 | Round 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 22 | −18 | 6 | ||||||||||
2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
Total | 0/22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8/22 | 38 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 26 | 122 | −96 | 22 |
AFC Asian Cup[]
AFC Asian Cup finals record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
1956 | Not an AFC member | Not an AFC member | |||||||||||||||||
1960 | |||||||||||||||||||
1964 | |||||||||||||||||||
1968 | |||||||||||||||||||
1972 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
1976 | |||||||||||||||||||
1980 | |||||||||||||||||||
1984 | Did not qualify | 5th (Group 2) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 30 | −30 | 0 | |||||||||
1988 | 5th (Group 3) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 | ||||||||||
1992 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
1996 | Did not qualify | 4th (Group 5) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 26 | −24 | 0 | |||||||||
2000 | 4th (Group 5) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 3 | ||||||||||
2004 | 4th (Group E) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 45 | -41 | 3 | ||||||||||
2007 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
2011 | Did not qualify | Withdrew and berth unsecured[a] | |||||||||||||||||
2015 | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup | ||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Round 1[b] | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | ||||||||||
2023 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 9 | 123 | −114 | 8 |
AFC Challenge Cup[]
AFC Challenge Cup record | AFC Challenge Cup qualification record | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pts | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
2006 | Semi-finals | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 7 | No qualification tournament | |||||||||
2008 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 | 1st (Group D) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
2010 | Did not qualify | 2nd (Group C) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 2 | ||||||||||
2012 | Round 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | 2nd (Group D) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 4 | |
2014 | Did not qualify | 3rd (Group D) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 4 | ||||||||||
Total | 3/5 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 10 | 4/4 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 16 |
AFC Solidarity Cup[]
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 |
2020 | Cancelled | ||||||||
Total | 1/1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 |
SAFF Championship[]
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Third place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
1995 | Fourth place | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
1997 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
1999 | Fourth place | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 |
2003 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
2005 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
2008 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 3 |
2009 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
2011 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
2013 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
2015 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
2018 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 |
2021 | To be determined | ||||||||
Total | 10/10 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 43 | 55 | 6 | 39 |
Olympic Games[]
Year | Result | Q | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 | No football tournament held | |||||||||
1900 | Not an IOC Member | |||||||||
1904 | ||||||||||
1908 | ||||||||||
1912 | ||||||||||
1920 | ||||||||||
1924 | ||||||||||
1928 | ||||||||||
1932 | No football tournament held | |||||||||
1936 | Not an IOC Member | |||||||||
1948 | ||||||||||
1952 | ||||||||||
1956 | ||||||||||
1960 | ||||||||||
1964 | Did not enter | |||||||||
1968 | ||||||||||
1972 | ||||||||||
1976 | ||||||||||
1980 | ||||||||||
1984 | ||||||||||
1988 | ||||||||||
1992 | ||||||||||
1996 | ||||||||||
Age bar restriction after 1996, U23s only | ||||||||||
2000 | Did not enter | |||||||||
2004 | ||||||||||
2008 | ||||||||||
2012 | ||||||||||
2016 | Did not qualify | |||||||||
2020 | ||||||||||
Total | - | 0/27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Asian Games[]
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | Not an IOC Member | ||||||||
1954 | |||||||||
1958 | |||||||||
1962 | |||||||||
1966 | Withdrew | ||||||||
1970 | |||||||||
1974 | |||||||||
1978 | |||||||||
1982 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
1986 | Round 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0 |
1990 | Withdrew | ||||||||
1994 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | −20 | 0 |
1998 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 |
Age bar restriction after 1999, U23s only | |||||||||
Total | 4/13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 52 | −51 | 0 |
South Asian Games[]
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | Gold | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6[c] |
1985 | Bronze | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4[c] |
1987 | Silver | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 4[c] |
1989 | 4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 |
1991 | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
1993 | Gold | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
1995 | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
1999 | Silver | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 |
Age bar restriction after 1999, U23s only | |||||||||
Total | 2 titles | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 36 |
Other tournaments[]
In these tournaments, Nepal was sometimes fielded as 'ANFA XI', 'Nepal XI', or 'Nepal Sports Development Authority' despite being the de facto national football team endorsed by the ANFA.[citation needed]
Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Team Name[d] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Round 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 1 | |||
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
[clarification needed] | Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
6th | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 4[c] | ||
1982 King's Cup | Round 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 2[c] | |
Runners-up | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4[c] | ||
[48] | Round 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | –14 | 0 | |
Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | ||
Runners-up | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
Round 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 1 | ||
4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 3 | ||
5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 5 | ||
Runners-up | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | unknown[49] | 3 | ||||
Round 1 | unknown[50] | unclear whether National team[51] | ||||||||
Champions | unknown[52] | |||||||||
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
Runners-up | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | –2 | 4[c] | ||
Unknown | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
[clarification needed] | Champions | - | - | - | - | - | - | – | - | |
[53] | Champions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | ANFA XI |
[54] | Round 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Nepal XI |
1999 Bangabandhu Cup | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | |
Runners-up | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | Nepal Red | |
2008 Merdeka Tournament | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 1 | |
2009 Prime Minister's Invitational Tournament | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 10 | Nepal Red |
2012 Nehru Cup | Round 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 1 | |
2016 Bangabandhu Cup | Champions | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 11 | |
2018 Bangabandhu Cup | Group Stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 11 | |
2021 Three Nations Cup | Champions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 11 | |
Total | 6 titles | 69 | 23 | 14 | 38 | 55 | 128 | 2 | 66 |
- **Former rules, win = 2pts.
Head-to-head record[]
Updated 11 June 2021 after match against Australia[55]
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
Opponent |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | +6 |
Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 |
Bangladesh | 25 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 33 | −13 |
Bhutan | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 6 | +39 |
Brunei | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
Cambodia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
China | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 31 | −29 |
Chinese Taipei | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
India | 18 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 33 | −26 |
Indonesia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 |
Iran | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | −25 |
Iraq | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 22 | −17 |
Japan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | −28 |
Jordan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 | −15 |
Kazakhstan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | −10 |
Kuwait | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 30 | −29 |
Kyrgyzstan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 |
Laos | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Malaysia | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 23 | −23 |
Macau | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | +9 |
Maldives | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 23 | −4 |
Myanmar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | −9 |
North Korea | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 |
Oman | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 43 | −42 |
Pakistan | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 25 | −5 |
Palestine | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 |
Philippines | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 14 | −12 |
Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | −7 |
Sri Lanka | 17 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 25 | −5 |
Singapore | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 |
South Korea | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 55 | −54 |
Syria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 |
Tajikistan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 |
Thailand | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 19 | −16 |
Tibet | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 |
Timor-Leste | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 |
Turkmenistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 |
United Arab Emirates | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | −11 |
Vietnam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 |
Yemen | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 |
Total | 242 | 56 | 39 | 149 | 212 | 582 | −370 |
Honours[]
Continental[]
- Champions (1): 2016
Regional[]
- South Asian Games
- Champions (2): 1984, 1993
- SAFF Championship
- Third place (1): 1993
Invitational[]
- Champions (1): 1987[56]
- Champions (1): 2016
- Champions (1): 2021
See also[]
- All Nepal Football Association
- Nepal national football team (2010–present)
- Nepal national under-23 football team
- Nepal national under-20 football team
- Nepal national under-17 football team
- Nepal women's national football team
Notes[]
References[]
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- ^ "8th SAF-Games 1999". Indian Football. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Aga Khan Gold Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ "Late Prakash Bikram Shah – First Nepali National football player to score first-ever goal in International football". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ "Nepal – elo ratings". Elo Ratings. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ "Nepal beat Bahrain 3-0 in Bangabandhu, win first international title after 23 years than AFC Solidarity by beating Macau 1-0 in final ..Nepal won South Asian Games 2016 football Gold medal by defeating host country India on final 2-1". The Himalayan Times. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "NEPAL CROWNED AFC SOLIDARITY CUP 2016 CHAMPIONS". AFC(Asian Football Confederation). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "Teams for final round of AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 qualifiers confirmed". Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nepal-held-goalless-draw-yemen/
- ^ https://africa.espn.com/football/afc-asian-cup-qualifiers/story/3269247/philippines-draw-with-nepal-blow-chance-to-make-asian-cup
- ^ https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nepal-slump-to-2-1-defeat-vs-tajikistan-in-asian-cup-qualifier/
- ^ http://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-asian-cup/latest/news/afc-asian-cup-2019-qualifiers---group-f-tajikistan-3-0-nepal-39286
- ^ https://ghanasoccernet.com/afc-asian-cup-2019-qualifiers-philippines-4-1-nepal
- ^ http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-03/28/c_137071511.htm
- ^ "ANFA Invitational Tournament (Nepal)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ "Team unveiled for Prime Minister Cup". gorkhapatra.org.np. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
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- ^ "List of 28 players of men's team for SAFF Championship made public". My Republica. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Statistics". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Rudi Gutendorf: The colourful life of a 'footballing missionary'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Trainer-Globetrotter Jochen Figge über Fußball in Afrika: "Sie bewarfen uns mit brennenden Geckos"". 11FREUNDE.de. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
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- ^ "Reminiscing Nepal's Football Success At The 1993 SAF Games". www.goalnepal.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "Obermann helps build football ground". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ "German coach to train Nepali football team". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ^ "Interview Torsten Spittler". Bayerischer fußballverband (in German). Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/world_football/2653003.stm
- ^ "Shyam Thapa – Indian football legend". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ "Nepal for Asia SAFF Championship 2008 Maldives/Sri Lanka Soccer Statistics with Past Results, Match Fixtures, League Table and Players Profiles - SoccerPunter.com". www.soccerpunter.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "AFC Challenge Cup '08 Team Profile: Nepal - Goal.com". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "Nepal: ANFA Selects Squad For Merdeka Cup - Goal.com". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "Tottenham great seeks Nepal high". hindustantimes.com. Hindustan Times. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "Nepal Coach Krishna Thapa: I Am Still Not Satisfied With Team Formation; I Will Announce Squad On Saturday". www.goalnepal.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ "New Nepal National Team Head Coach Raju Kaji Shakya: I Will Try My Best To Lead The Team Well". GoalNepal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ "ANFA Re-appoints Jack Stefanowski As A Coach Of Nepal". GoalNepal.com. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "Dhruba KC appointed national coach". myrepublica.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
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- ^ "Bal Gopal Maharjan Appointed Interim Head Coach Of Nepal National Team". Goal Nepal. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Maharjan takes over from Koji". The Kathmandu Post. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Johan Kalin resigns as head coach of national men's football team". The Himalayan Times. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "ANFA names Swedish Kalin as Nepal coach". The Kathmandu Post. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- ^ https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nepal-appoints-kuwaiti-national-abdullah-almutairi-as-head-coach-of-mens-national-football-team
- ^ "Merdeka Tournament 1983 (Malaysia) 0". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Seventh ANFA Cup 1986". RSSSF.
- ^ "1987". RSSSF.
- ^ "1987". RSSSF.
- ^ "Eighth ANFA Cup 1987". RSSSF.
- ^ "20th Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup 1998". Indian Football.
- ^ "111th "Allwyn" Durand Cup 1998". Indian Football.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Nepal". Elo Ratings. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ "ANFA Invitational Tournament (Nepal)". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 November 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
External links[]
- Nepal national football team
- Football in Nepal
- Asian national association football teams
- 1951 establishments in Nepal