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Nepal cannot afford another lackadaisical performance against Bahrain

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Favorites Bahrain lived up to their billing as they overwhelmed underperforming Nepal 5-0 in the first leg of the  2026  FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the 2027 AFC Asian  Cup in Bahrain.   The Middle Eastern outfit  controlled the proceedings from start to finish.They dominated every aspect of the game and stamped their authority on the match. They rightly punished the opponent for their sluggish,sloppy and lackluster performance.  They barely had to break a sweat on their way to an unexpected easy victory. In other words it was a cakewalk for them.   They made the most of their physical, technical and tactical advantages. Apart from that,they combined pace, physical strength,well coordinated offensive play and compact defense to dominate the opposition. In retrospect,Nepal’s performance was flat and mediocre at best.This has to be one of their worst performances in recent years. Contrary to expectations,they  completely lacked competitive  fire and pushed themselves into  submission.

Nepal underdogs against Bahrain

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Things are far from  rosy for the men’s national football team of Nepal.To put it bluntly,they have been struggling like never seen before on the field. Currently they are going through a prolonged slump.It  has been  a story of one disappointment after another in international competitions.The declining fortunes of football in the country is palpable. The recent 1-4 defeat against Malaysia in a friendly match further exposed Nepal’s vulnerability. Amidst great challenges,Nepal is gearing up for the double header against Bahrain in the FIFA World Cup AFC Qualification 2026 Second Round Group H  match in Bahrain. Nepal’s home game  was moved to Bahrain  after  the Asian  Football Confederation inspection team found the    Dasarath Rangasala pitch embarrassingly in bad condition and deemed it sub-standard.   It is a classic case of gross negligence on the part of All Nepal Football Association(ANFA).What a shame! They had ample time to ensure the safety and playability of the ground. Unf

Weak batting bogs down Team Nepal

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The men’s national cricket team of Nepal returned to action amidst high expectations last month. The team had a hectic schedule as they participated in three  tournaments consecutively in a little over a month.  Since Nepal hosted the tournaments cricket  buffs across the country had  a heightened air of  expectancy. Nepal’s recent success on home turf had local fans optimistic about their  team’s chances. The ICC Men’s Cricket  World  Cup  League 2024/27 and T20 International Triangular series featuring Nepal,the Netherlands and Namibia  were the bigger and important tournaments. The  two unofficial one day international series against Canada provided  a perfect platform to emerging  players knocking on the selectors door.  For the second one day series against Canada, Cricket Association of Nepal fielded Nepal A,comprising experienced players and rising stars who have been performing consistently in domestic  and international competitions. The team was skippered by experienced right

Footballer Samba continues to make waves

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Sabitra Bhandari a.k.a. Samba, ace striker of the women’s national football team of Nepal continues to make waves in football on both domestic and international fronts. The twenty seven year old  recent  transfer to the French side En Avant Guingamp that plays in the Division 1 Feminine,the highest professional women’s league in France is another   feather in her cap. Prior to that she made history when she signed for  Israeli club Hapoel Ra’anana  and became Nepal’s first ever footballer to play for a team competing in UEFA  sanctioned tournaments  in Europe. Unfortunately her stint with the  club ended prematurely due to the Israel- Gaza conflict.Although she made only two appearances, she  gave a good account of herself,scoring five goals. Samba didn’t have to live long with disappointment.She got an offer from the French first division side En Avant Guingamp. Indeed the offer was bigger than she expected and by far the biggest up to this point of her career.  What more could she po

Nepal must be committed to playing at its best

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With international cricket action taking  center stage in Kathmandu, cricket fever  has gripped the country. Nepal hosted the recently concluded Nepal vs Canada fifty over one day  international cricket series, the first international  tournament in  2024.   Everyone’s focus was  on Nepal’s performance in the  three match series. Home fans had high expectations and  looked forward to a strong performance from the team.   The series against Canada was a good opportunity for Head Coach Monty Desai to try out young  talented players waiting in the wings. Coach Desai made the right move by resting some of the starters and bringing in new players to the team. The series was  completely dominated by Nepal as they whitewashed the visitors winning all three matches much to the delight of partisan fans . The hosts put together a winning performance. As a matter of fact,solid batting and bowling,coupled with collective  effort and individual brilliance sealed the series for them. Cricket aficion

Nepal must be at their best against Bangladesh in World Cup cricket

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The men’s Under-19 national cricket team of Nepal finally  broke the shackles in the ongoing  ICC  Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa. In a nail- biting finish they barely managed to prevail over Afghanistan  by one wicket. It was their  first victory  but a very important one in the championship. The win  earned them a place in the super six competition. With two defeats and one win,they  finished third behind Pakistan and New Zealand. It was a must win duel for both outfits in order to qualify for the Super Six stage. Excitement and suspense reached crescendo as fortunes of teams dramatically fluctuated all the way to the end. The match was tantalizingly poised after Nepal lost  its ninth wicket. At that point,it was anyone’s game. The bowlers  were on top of their game by bowling out Afghanistan for a paltry 145 runs just in 40.1 overs,thanks largely to Aakash Chand’s superb bowling. The speedster in a display  of pace and accuracy ripped through the opposition innings