Annesse stresses on strong players, more organized league calendar

KATHMANDU: Vincenzo Alberto Annesse, the new Head Coach of the men’s national football team, is still getting acquainted with the Nepali football scene. Despite being appointed as the Head Coach two weeks ago, he only signed the contract with the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) a few days ago.

However, he has already identified some weaknesses in Nepali football. “The players need to be physically stronger, and the league calendar needs to be better organized,” said Annesse during his first interaction with Nepali media on Tuesday.

Annesse observed these weaknesses while watching the ongoing Martyr’s Memorial National ‘A’ Division League.

“The Nepali players need to focus on building their physical strength. We can work together strategically to achieve this,” said the Italian coach, who previously managed Indian Super League (ISL) side North East United and I-League club Gokulam Kerala FC. “The players are playing without adequate rest, and they are unable to recover properly. This puts them at risk of injury.”

Annesse also expressed his willingness to discuss tactical aspects with the coaches of ‘A’ Division clubs to strengthen their players. “I want to have a discussion with all the coaches, not to teach them but to exchange ideas,” Annesse added.

Another issue that he identified was the lack of goals. As a coach who favors aggressive football, Annesse expects to see more goals in matches.

Annesse’s first challenge will be building a team for the upcoming ‘Prime Minister’s Tri-Nation Cup’, where Nepal will compete against Bhutan and Laos.

“However, there have been very few goals scored in the league. After scoring a goal or being in a winning situation, teams often slow down the game or become too defensive. Some matches have ended with only three goals, while others have ended in a 1-0 or 2-1 scoreline. I hope to see more teams scoring goals,” he added.

Annesse also noticed that referees were interrupting the game more often than necessary in the league. “In a 90-minute game, I observed the referee stopping the game more than 70 times. It is not ideal for the referee to have to stop the game so frequently. Players need more time to play, which will make the game more interesting,” said Annesse.

The Italian, who won two I-League titles with Gokulam Kerala FC, arrived in Nepal after spending several months with Northeast United in the Indian Super League (ISL), which is a level above the I-League. He went on to say that he was looking for the opportunity to coach the Nepali team. “I have been following Nepali football for a few years and wanted to come here. I aim to progress in my coaching career, and being the coach of the national team is a crucial part of that journey,” Annesse, who coached the central American country Belize three years ago, said.

The 38-year-old coach also expressed his familiarity with the talent of Nepali players. He mentioned watching the games of Kiran Kumar Limbu in the I-League and Rohit Chand in the Indonesian League, saying, “I have observed some players outside Nepal, and now I am also studying Nepali players while watching the domestic league. I believe they are talented.”

Annesse’s first challenge will be building a team for the upcoming ‘Prime Minister’s Tri-Nation Cup’, where Nepal will compete against Bhutan and Laos. The tournament will take place from March 20 to April 1 at the Dashrath Stadium. Since more than a dozen players have migrated abroad, Annesse may need to form a new team for this event. However, this is a routine challenge for him.

He is also open to calling overseas players to the team, but he emphasizes that to be in the Nepali team, a player must be playing professional football. “I can only trust players I have seen play,” Annesse added.

Annesse is well aware of the challenges of team building and acknowledges the exodus of Nepali players. He plans to provide opportunities for both experienced and young players, recognizing the need for experienced players to guide the new ones. “We cannot create a completely new team all at once. There is a process of team change, and everything cannot change at once. However, suitable players will get an opportunity,” he stated.

To gather information, Annesse plans to contact Nepali players who have gone abroad. He is also open to calling overseas players to the team, but he emphasizes that to be in the Nepali team, a player must be playing professional football. “I can only trust players I have seen play,” Annesse added.

Despite appointing Annesse as the head coach, ANFA has not made any announcements regarding the assistant coach and goalkeeping coach. Annesse mentioned that he will receive help from Nepali coaches for the upcoming tri-nation cup, but he hinted that foreign assistants could be appointed in the future.

Annesse has traveled to nine countries in his coaching career, spending only a year in each country except India. Similarly, in Nepal, he has signed a year-long contract with ANFA. Previously, foreign coaches prioritized winning the SAFF championship title. However, Annesse did not emphasize this dream.

“My goal is to win more games. If I can accomplish this, my coaching career will progress. Nepal will also achieve things that it failed to achieve in the past,” stated Annesse.

Further reading:

Meet Annesse, the new Head Coach of national football team