Himal Press 
File Photo
KATHMANDU: Nepal has announced a 23-member squad for the upcoming 14th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2023 to be held in Bangalore later this month.
Even though the championship is only about two weeks away, Head Coach Vincenzo Alberto Annesse hasn’t been able to call the players for the closed-camp training after the clubs showed reluctance to release players until the final match of the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League is played. He had called 30 players for the closed camp training on May 31. The national league concludes on June 10.
Annese has called Bimal Pandey of Tribhuvan Army Club, Simant Thapa of Jawalakhel Youth Club and Laken Limbu of Three Star Club to the national side for the first time.
The SAFF Championship kicks off in Bangalore on June 21. Nepal is placed in Group ‘B’ which also has India, Pakistan and Kuwait. Similarly, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives and Lebanon are in the Group ‘A’.
SAFF invited Kuwait and Lebanon, who as the members of West Asian Football Federation, in the championship to make the championship more competitive. SAFF member Sri Lanka is not participating in the championship as it remains suspended by FIFA.
Nepal will play its first match against Kuwait on June 21. It is scheduled to play India on June 24 and Pakistan on June 27.
Nepal Squad:
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu (Punjab FC), Deep Karki (Manang Masryangdi), Bishal Shrestha (Machhindra FC)
Defenders: Bimal Pandey (Tribhuvan Army Club), Sanish Shrestha (Nepal APF Club), Ananta Tamang (Church Boys United), Devendra Tamang (Machhindra FC), Nishant Khadka (Sankata Club), Rohit Chand (Persik Kedri) and Simant Thapa (Jawlakhel Youth Club).
Midfielders: Pujan Uparkoti (Machhindra FC), Arik Bista (Church Boys United), Naveen Lama (Nepal APF Club), Mani Kumar Lama (Nepal APF Club), Laken Limbu (Three Star Club) and Abhash Lamichhane (Nepal APF Club).
Forwards: Ayush Ghalan (Sankata Club), Navayug Shrestha Tribhuvan (Tribhuvan Army Club), Deepakraj Singh Thakuri (Satdobato Youth Club), Anjan Bista (Church Boys United), Manish Dangi (Sankata Club), Ashish Chaudhary (Church Boys United) and Bimal Gharti Magar (Machhindra FC)
