ANFA bids farewell to U-19 team for the Kyrgyz Republic tour

Kathmandu / Oct 29: All Nepal Football Association has bid farewell to Nepal U19 team for AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers. to be held in the Kyrgyz Republic from October 31 to November 8.

A total of 43 Asian nations that are divided into ten groups are competing in the qualifiers. Top two teams from each group will join host Indonesia in the final round next year.

Nepal, pitted in Group A, will begin the qualification campaign taking on host Kyrgyzstan on October 31 and will take on Bahrain two days later. Likewise, the Nepali young team will compete against UAE on November 4 and Oman in its last match on November 8.

Head coach Tshering Lopsang finalized 23-member squad on Saturday for upcoming AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers.

Goalkeeper Sojit Gurung, midfielder Manish Thapa, and forwards Suraj Jeu Thakuri and Rajesh Pariyar are new faces in the team.

Beside Sojit Gurung, other goalkeepers in the side are Arpan Karki and Abhisek Baral. The defenders called up in the squad are Biswas Udas, Asim Bhusal, Bikash Khawash, Rajan Gurung, Suman Aryal, Aakash Shrestha, Nirajan Maharjan, and Roman Limbu. Likewise, midfielders Ashok Thapa, Dinesh Henjan, Abhisek Rijal, Anil Maharjan, Sesehang Amgdambe, Arik Bista, and Manish Thapa also have secured berths in the team.

Similarly Prezen Tamang, Rejin Subbba, and Dhiraj Shrestha have joined Suraj Jeu Thakuri and Rajesh Pariyar in the forward department.

Goalkeeper Arpan Karki has been given captaincy by Lopsang while Prezen Tamang has been given the responsibility of deputy captain.

Lopsang guided Nepal to the SAFF U-18 Championship title.