KATHMANDU: A Nepali player in the European league! It may sound surprising, but it is true. Sabitra Bhandari, the striker for the Nepali women’s national team, has achieved a significant turnaround in her career by signing a contract with Israeli club Hapoel Ra’anana last Wednesday. Initially, the contract is for one season.
Although geographically Israel is located in Asia, it is a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Consequently, the champion of the Israeli Women’s League earns the opportunity to participate in the Champions League. Thus, Nepal has made its entry into European club football through Sabitra.
Many may wonder how Sabitra, who was recently engaged in South Asian club football, managed to take such a significant leap in her career. In modern football, a player’s trajectory can change at a very fast pace. There, however, has to be someone to guide the way. In Sabitra’s case, that person was the Nepali men’s national team coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese.
The Italian has been involved in the coaching profession since 2010, having worked with numerous clubs and national teams across Europe. Naturally, he has developed connections with football agents. During a visit to London some nine months ago, Annese had the opportunity to meet Lindi Ngwenya, the founder of Sisu Sports Management Ltd. Annese and Lindi share a close friendship, and they remained in contact even after Annese took charge of the Nepali national men’s team.
It didn’t take long for Annese, who arrived in Nepal in March, to recognize the exceptional talent of Sabitra.
“One day, Annese informed me about an incredible talent in Nepali football and urged me to check her out,” Lindi recollects.
However, Annese’s recommendation alone would not be sufficient for a scout. “Annese is undeniably a good coach and capable of identifying top talents, but we also conducted research from our side,” Lindi told Himal Press from London.
Lindi dedicated hours to watching Sabitra’s match videos, including her league matches in India. As the striker continued to score goal after goal for Gokulam Kerala, Lindi observed something remarkable. While the Indian league may not be particularly strong or competitive, it is extraordinary for a player to score an astonishing 29 goals in just 10 games.
“We made an effort to understand how Sabitra consistently finds the back of the net. We concluded that her greatest assets are her ‘speed’ and ‘finishing’,” Lindi explained. “Regardless of the league’s competitiveness, players with these two qualities catch everyone’s attention. Sabitra stood out to us. With these attributes, we became convinced of her ability to play in Europe.”
Lindi initially reached out to Sabitra through Instagram and subsequently connected with her on WhatsApp. She sought the consent of Sabitra’s agent, Subash Humagain, a sports journalist, to initiate transfer discussions.
Lindi had two clear objectives in mind. Firstly, she understood that Sabitra couldn’t directly enter Europe’s top-tier leagues, and thus, it was essential for her to start in a medium-scale league. Secondly, it was crucial to ascertain if Sabitra would be ready and willing to play in such a league.
“Some time ago, I attempted to bring an African player to Europe, but it didn’t materialize because she was not mentally strong. However, with Sabitra, I have witnessed great enthusiasm, which has made things easier for me,” Lindi said.
After preparing Sabitra’s profile, Lindi forwarded it to clubs within her network. The response was positive, with several clubs expressing interest in signing Sabitra. Among them, two Israeli clubs displayed significant eagerness, and eventually, one of them successfully secured the services of the star striker.
Lindi is confident that this is just the beginning of Sabitra’s journey. She anticipates that the Israeli league will provide an environment for Savitra to further hone her skills and prepare her for a future in the elite European leagues. It is due to this expectation that Sabitra has signed a contract with the Israeli club for a single season.
“I have full confidence in Sabitra’s abilities to excel in the Israeli league. If she meets our expectations and continues to score goals, her path will lead to the top leagues in Europe,” Lindi affirmed. “There is no reason why she cannot compete at that level. She possesses boundless talent.”
The Nepali football community is naturally excited about Sabitra’s move to Europe. There is a widespread belief that it will pave the way for more Nepali players to venture abroad. However, Lindi holds a different perspective. She does not believe that Nepali football will produce many players of her caliber.
“While Nepal and South Asia can indeed produce talents like Sabitra, they will be few and far between. I believe there will only be one or two, and one of them is Sabitra,” she candidly expressed, acknowledging her unique position.
However, Lindi and her company are dedicated to discovering talents like Sabitra in countries like Nepal. “Talents exist wherever football is played. The number may be few. Nepal and other South Asian countries have not yet received significant attention from European scouts. The lack of attention from others in this region presents an opportunity for us. We aim to seize this opportunity,” Lindi said.
