Before the return match with Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Nepal team quietly practiced in the rain at Thong Nhat Stadium (Ho Chi Minh City) - the place temporarily considered their "home field" in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This is mandatory because Nepal no longer has any stadium that meets AFC or FIFA standards to host an international match.
Nepalese players practice in the rain at Thong Nhat Stadium, they are still happy to practice on natural grass.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
According to The Annapurna Express , Dasharath Stadium, the pride of Nepalese football, is now just a symbolic name. The pitch is prone to flooding, the lighting system is unstable, and the stands are so degraded that they pose a safety threat to players and spectators. The infrastructure crisis is such that it is proof that "football has been forgotten in national development plans".
Nepalese Football in Crisis: Coach Matt Ross Rekindles Faith from the Mud
This situation forced the Nepal Football Association (ANFA) to look for a home ground in another country, and Ho Chi Minh City was chosen because of its good ground conditions, reasonable cost and the long-standing friendship between the two footballing nations. But behind that decision is a long story of the overall decline of Nepalese football.
Dasharath Stadium in Nepal has deteriorated and is no longer up to standard for international matches.
PHOTO: GOALNEPAL
A football scene with no more fields to play on
The Rising Nepal newspaper pointed out that 18 months have passed without Nepal being able to organize a domestic championship, due to financial difficulties, conflicts within the management apparatus and shortcomings in sports planning.
Many professional clubs have had to dissolve due to lack of revenue and inability to pay player salaries.
Muddy pitch during a domestic match in Nepal
PHOTO: Ekentpur
Players compete in a match of the Nepal B-League.
PHOTO: ANFA
The Kathmandu Post described a situation of “chaos and disorientation” as seasons were cancelled, young players were left without a playing environment, and fans turned their backs on the stadiums. One player was quoted as saying bitterly: “We don’t know when the new season will start, or whether we will still have a team to play for next year.”
Coach Matt Ross remains committed to Nepalese football despite extremely difficult circumstances
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Before leaving for Vietnam, Nepal coach Matt Ross also pointed out the biggest challenge for his team was that the players had no chance to compete as many had not played football for a year. Only a few who were playing for clubs in Bangladesh or Cambodia still had the feeling of the ball.
With the damaged field system, football teams have to practice on artificial fields that are over 20 years old and as hard as concrete, making muscle injuries a common occurrence.
Coach Matt Ross said: "The two training sessions in Vietnam were the first time we practiced on natural grass. In Kathmandu, they only practiced on old artificial turf, after each session everyone had back pain and muscle fatigue. But I believe in this journey, even though not everyone can see it."
Coach Matt Ross: 'Nepal team will not give up against Vietnam'
Coach Matt Ross - the one who sowed faith in Nepalese football
At the age of 47, Matt Ross - an Australian coach who has worked for many years in Europe - clearly understands that he cannot change the whole system, but he wants to change the people within that system.
"I just know that I love coaching, love working with the team. I want to leave the team better than when I arrived. Nepal lost more than they won, but I believe they have improved in the way they play, in their principles," he said.
Before becoming a professional footballer, coach Matt Ross worked as a referee and then a physical education teacher, which he believes helps him understand his players better. "Learners only progress when they feel safe and allowed to make mistakes. I try to create that environment – using humour to get them to open up, dare to ask questions, dare to share."
The love of football of the coach and players is a guiding light in the dark days of Nepalese football
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
No ice, no medical professionals
Coach Ross said the Nepal team's living and training conditions in Kathmandu were incredibly harsh:
"We live and train at an altitude of 1,400 meters, sometimes the temperature drops to 0 degrees. Players have to travel for dozens of hours, some have blood clots in their legs because of long connecting flights. We don't have massage therapists, protein bars, or even ice packs. In Kathmandu, we don't even have money to buy ice," he shared bitterly.
He emphasized that those difficulties make every goal and every moment on the field more precious.
"We scored against Vietnam - something we probably never did before. It was Sanish Shrestha's first goal, and his whole village turned on the TV to celebrate. Moments like that are what keep me going."
Every opportunity to play is extremely valuable to the players.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Ekantipur newspaper once wrote: "Nepalese football is on its knees in the mud." But in that mud, coach Matt Ross saw seeds of hope.
"The odds of winning against Vietnam may be only 1/20, but I still work every day to shorten that gap. No one knows everything we have to go through. But I believe that with every day of effort, with every player improving, we have won."
In the eyes of coach Ross, Nepal's choice of Thong Nhat Stadium as the venue for the competition is not a shameful thing, but a testament to the survival will of this small football nation.
When there is no more room for football at home, they still choose to play - because of love, because of self-respect, and because of the desire to see the national flag flying amidst mounting difficulties.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-nepal-giua-muon-trung-kho-khan-vi-sao-phai-dung-san-thong-nhat-lam-san-nha-185251013205707379.htm
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