Barely a month after winning the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh, the Nepali football team has once again proved its mettle by bagging the gold in the 12th South Asian Games, defeating arch rivals India 2-1 on their home ground on Monday. Notably, the Nepali team won the gold medal in football after 23 years.

This win could not have come at a better time for Nepal as the country has had very little to celebrate in recent days. But it also calls for reflection on several issues: Whether the win was a result of the change of guard at the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa); whether long-time Anfa boss Ganesh Thapa was holding Nepal’s football hostage; and most importantly, what needs to be done to ensure that Nepal will be able to sustain or build up on the recent momentum.

In November last year, the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee of Fifa, the football’s global governing body, had imposed a 10-year ban from football on Thapa and a fine of 20,000 Swiss Francs (approximately Rs2.1 million). The ban came as a respite to those who were frustrated at successive governments’ reluctance to take action against Thapa and those who held him responsible for the rot in the association. Hopefully, it marks the beginning of the clean-up of Anfa. If the game is to retain its charm and prestige, Anfa should make sure that the corruption and match-fixing scandals that it has become notorious for in recent times do not spoil the players.

Some claim that our national football team is in transition with the younger players replacing the older ones. This new crop of players is the one that was part of both the recent victories. So the younger generation have done their part to prove their calibre; now it is the government and the concerned authorities that need to step up their game so that these players can have a better future.

Anfa and the Sports Ministry need to allocate more funds to improve the country’s sports infrastructure and to boost the players’ morale. Other than a secure source of adequate income, the players need to be assured that they have a secure future once they retire from the game.

The authorities also need to think of the ways to hone the players’ skills. A technical team from Japan has recently been hired to train the Nepali squad, which is a step in the right direction. Apart from proper training, international football teams take the diet of the players very seriously. Anfa should consider hiring a proper dietician for the team. The boys are young and can build a better physique, which will definitely reflect in their games.

Monday’s victory is a reminder that Nepali football can have a promising future and that the team can excel further if it receives more attention and exposure.