How did Gen Z's protests affect the Nepal team before the match against Vietnam?

Football is further delayed by protests

“We were on the bus going to training before the friendly against Bangladesh when the police asked us not to go to the stadium,” said Nepal coach Matt Ross. “Then we saw the news about protests, buildings being burned. The hotel management told us to close the curtains but I looked out and saw the building next door was on fire.”

The rapidly escalating unrest forced organizers to cancel Nepal's match against Bangladesh, the second in a series of friendlies between the two teams. The visiting Bangladeshi team was stuck in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, while members of the home team were scattered.

Ross recalled that he had to deal with a delicate situation. “The kit manager’s nephew went to a protest and died,” Ross said. “We were in no mood to play anymore. It was very complicated. We were surrounded by smoke, sirens and chants. It was difficult because it was the kind of scene you see on TV elsewhere, and then you find yourself in the middle of it and you’re completely helpless.

“At the time, I felt like a parent, worried about the players. I asked them to call when they went home to visit their families around the country. The players asked about their parents, asked about their hometowns. A lot of the kids are still affected by this, which is understandable.”

Coach Ross and his colleagues are facing many difficulties.

Rebuilding the team

Ten days later, the Australian coach returned to Nepal to start rebuilding the team. But for him, things were not easy because football was already disadvantaged in Nepal, now everything was turned upside down by the protests.

“We’re not ranked 175th in the world for nothing,” Ross said. “I came here to win and change that mentality. The players here have talent. With the ball at their feet, they’re as good as any I’ve worked with. What they lack is the tactical foundations that you get from a proper academy system and the mindset that comes with it.

Here, players travel all over the country, play tournaments for a week and get paid in cash. They only get two-week contracts. So it's not ideal to build a football culture or a national team here. I have to find an environment where they can play professionally, take them to India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, basically anywhere they can play professionally."

The coach's concerns are well-founded because football is not a popular sport in Nepal. Their national championship is limited to 1 month, the players come to compete and receive money. In the other months, they have to find jobs to maintain their lives. Now, he has to gather such players to travel to Vietnam, to play 2 matches against the host team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Football facilities in Nepal are very modest.

“Don't come to Vietnam to leave empty-handed”

Ross had once planned to referee at the World Cup, but after suffering a serious knee injury, he turned to coaching. He worked as an assistant at small clubs before trying his hand as “captain” of the Nepal national team.

His calm demeanor has been especially valuable amid the turmoil off the pitch in Nepal. Now he is focused on using football as a way to unite his fans. But against opponents Vietnam, ranked 61 places higher in the FIFA rankings, it is clear that this will not be an easy task.

“We feel a huge responsibility now,” Ross said ahead of his trip to Ho Chi Minh City to play two 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam. “It’s not about asking people to support us, but on the contrary, we need to give them something. No one expects us to do anything in these two matches. But I must emphasize that we can do miracles in one or both matches against Vietnam. We need to bring something home for the fans.”