Forward Bimal Gharti Magar was on Sunday named Nepal captain for the AFC Under-23 Championship Qualifiers, two days ahead to their friendly match against Bangladesh U-23 team in Satdobato. 

Nepal and Bangladesh are playing the friendly to fine tune their preparations for the AFC age-group tournament. Nepal are drawn in Group ‘D’ in the Qualifiers along with hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan and Lebanon in the event to be held in Al Ain City on July 15-19.

The Qualifiers send 10 group winners and five best runners-up to the finals to be held in China next year.  

Along with Gharti Magar, who also captained Nepal at the U-16 and U-19 age-group levels, the squad boasts 10 members from the senior team in goalkeeper Alan Neupane, defenders Kamal Shrestha, Ananta Tamang and Dinesh Rajbanshi, midfielders Heman Gurung, Hemanta Thapa Magar, Suman Lama and Sunil Bal, and forwards Anjan Bista. Tamang was named the vice-captain. 

The squad announced by head coach Raju Kaji Shakya includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards.

Prakash Aryal is the assistant to Shakya and Mrigendra Mishra the goalkeeping coach. Nepal will open their campaign against the UAE on July 19 before taking on Uzbekistan two days later. They round up their group fixtures with a game against Lebanon on July 23. 

Squad

Goalkeeper: Alan Neupane, Ashok Baral, Kishor Giri

Defender: Ananta Tamang, Dinesh Rajbanshi, Gaurav Budathoki, Kamal Shrestha, Amit Tamang, Niraj Basnet, Tshiring Gurung, Laxman GC

Midfielder: Heman Gurung, Hemanta Thapa Magar, Suman Lama, Sunil Bal, Pujan Uperkoti, Tej Tamang, Dona Thapa, Bibek Basnet

Forward: Bimal Gharti Magar, Anjan Bista, Sanjog Rai, Biswas Shrestha