Nepal on Wednesday announced a 23-member final squad for the Saff U-18 Championship scheduled for September 18-27 in Bhutan.

All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) on Wednesday also informed that the tournament will be now played in round robin league format instead of league-cum-knockout basis after a Sri Lanka pull out. Organised by South Asian Football Federation (Saff), the event now features five teams as Pakistan had already withdrawn owing to their internal strife. The team that earns the maximum points at the end will be crowned champions. 

Coach Chhiring Lopsang Gurung named goalkeeper Arpan Karki as captain and forward Prezen Tamang as vice-captain. The final selection was made from the pool of 74 players two months earlier on the basis of their performance at the Lalit Memorial U-18 Championship. 

The list was trimmed twice to 35 and 27 players before finalising the squad on Wednesday. Pushkar Shahi was named as Gurung’s assistant and Mrigendra Mishra as the goalkeeping coach. 

The Nepali squad consisted of three goalkeepers, eight defenders and midfielders each and four forwards. Nepal are will open their campaign against hosts Bhutan on September 20 and lock horn against Maldives two days later. Nepal will play Bangladesh in their penultimate match on September 25 before wrapping up their campaign with a clash against India on September 27.  

The biennial U-18 tournament is set to held for the first time, replacing the U-19 Championship which was itself held for the first time in 2017 in Kathmandu. Nepal had won the first edition defeating India on penalties. The tournament will serve as good platform ahead of the AFC U-19 Championship.

Saff U-18 squad

Goalkeeper: Sandesh Gurung, Aabhishek Baral, Arpan Karki, 

Defender: Suman Aryal, Biswas Udas, Roman Limbu, Aakash Limbu, Ashim Bhusal, Bikash Khawas, Nirajnan Maharjan, Rajan Gurung

Midfielder: Dinesh Henjan, Ahok Thapa Magar, Aabhishek Rija, Arik Bista, Anil Maharjan, Sesehang Angdambe, Rajiv Lopchan, Ram Wojee, 

Forward: Diraj Shrestha, Rejin Shrestha, Rejin Subba, Prezen Tamang,