KATHMANDU: Nepali national men’s football team finally got a pro license holder coach following the appointment of Kuwaiti national Abdullah Almutairi as a Head Coach.
Abdullah is a pro license holder and AFC coaching instructor and was appointed to the post on recommendation by the technical committee of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
Bal Gopal Maharjan had taken charge as the Head Coach of the national football team following the resignation of Yohan Kalin.
However, Maharjan is not a pro license holder coach. The national football governing body had a hard time after FIFA made it mandatory for its member countries to appoint a pro license holder as Head Coach.
ANFA is confident that the national team will perform better after it is coached by a pro license holder. But, a major question remains unanswered— is a coach with a pro license is the only necessity for Nepal?
Unfortunately, a comprehensive discussion on the issue has been never held.
Abdullah has previous experiences with clubs of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. He had also worked as the coach of the Kyrgyzstan U-16 team. It’s his first assignment to coach a national football team.
His appointment comes after a request by ANFA to Qatar Football Association (QFA) to send an AFC pro license coach. QFA and ANFA had signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the development of the technical aspect of the game in 2018.
Is a coach with a pro license is the only necessity for Nepal?
Nepal needs a long-serving coach
Nepali football has failed to rise above the South Asian periphery— lagging behind its arch-rival India. Winning SAFF Championship has been Nepal’s target for many years.
However, Nepal has failed to move forward from the semifinals of the regional tournament. Nepal needs a long-term plan to elevate itself from the South Asian level. A coach and management as per the strategy is a must.
Abdullah was appointed to the post for a one-year tenure. There has been a frequent change in coaches of the national football team. Kalin was picked as the coach of Nepal’s national football team in January 2019. Nepal had played nine games under his leadership.
Nepal had played three friendlies under Kalin. Nepal lost one match and played a draw in two matches. Under World Cup Qualifiers, Nepal played five matches and emerged victorious in only one match.
Nepal has failed to achieve significant progress in the international football arena as coaches have been changed frequently.
The national football governing body has failed to retain any international coach. Nepal has been an experimental lab for foreign coaches.
Nepal pins hope on Abdullah
Nepal pins high hope on the new coach as the national football team is scheduled to play remaining matches under second phase of World Cup Qualifiers. Nepal will be vying against Chinese Taipei, Australia and Jordan in its home games at a neutral venue in Kuwait after one month.
In August, Nepal will be competing in SAFF Championship to be held in Bangladesh iAugust. That’s why Nepal has high hopes for him. However, his lack of experience will unquestionably affect the Nepali team.
Nepal needs a long-term plan to elevate itself from the South Asian level.
Nepal has failed to achieve significant progress in the international football arena as coaches have been changed frequently.
Abdullah says he was happy and takes the job as a challenge.
“I am delighted to work in Nepal where the people are really kind. I take this job as a challenge and with our game, I hope to make every Nepali supporter happy,” says Abdullah.
Coach Abdullah says he has studied the players and the country well before taking up the job.
“I watched the team play in the Three Nations Cup. We have a good pool of players and hopefully, we can celebrate on more occasions like being crowned the Three Nations Cup Champions,” says the coach.
Abdullah was watching the game as Nepal defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in the final of the Three Nations Cup. Hope he will be able to take Nepali football to a new level.
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