Dasharath Stadium declared unfit to host international match

Nepal was scheduled to host Bahrain at Dasharath Stadium on March 21 before traveling to Manama for the second leg on March 27.

The decision means Nepal’s home match of the Qualifier will now be played at a venue outside the country.

ANFA stated that the decision had already been communicated to Nepal by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) following a field visit by its representatives in February.

AFC sent its team to Nepal after Bahrain lodged a complaint stating that it won’t play the Qualifier in Nepal citing poor stadium pitch conditions.

“Due to various sporting and other activities being hosted at the only international stadium in Nepal, and considering the time constraints for pitch maintenance, the condition of the stadium pitch has been deemed unsatisfactory for the Qualifier match,” ANFA said in a statement on Friday.

This is not the first time that Nepal’s international matches have been moved out of the country due to poor ground conditions. In 2019, Nepal played its World Cup 2022 qualifier against Kuwait in Thimpu, Bhutan.

ANFA has apologized for the development but stated that it views it as an opportunity to advocate for the construction of a new football stadium in the country.

Dasharath Stadium, the only international-standard football stadium in the country, has been hosting a variety of events, ranging from concerts to sports meets of private schools. It hosted matches almost every day, including two matches on Saturday, from November 24 to December 30 last year when it served as the only venue for the privately-owned Nepal Super League.