Absence of a robust domestic league structure and inadequate training facilities may haunt the defending champions Nepal at the South Asian Games which will take place in Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1 to 10.

Despite limited match exposure, Nepal Under-23 side surpassed expectations when they faced Myanmar in Doha, Qatar, on October 22. They took the lead twice in the game, only to squander the advantage and settle for a 2-2 draw.

Team’s head coach Bal Gopal Maharjan, however, is optimistic about Nepal repeating the heroics of the 12th edition of the regional Games in 2016. Nepal fought back from a goal down to beat hosts India 2-1 to win the football gold.

Maharjan himself was part of the Nepal team that won the football gold back in the 1993 Games held in Bangladesh.

“It would certainly be very beautiful to win the gold in the SAG, both as player and coach,” he says.

But to realise this dream, Maharjan believes his team does not have enough match exposure. So he has been pushing for another international friendly before the Games.

“Despite a few players already representing Nepal at the senior level and the provision of accommodating three from the senior squad, others in the team still lack adequate match exposure,” Maharjan says.

“I have requested All Nepal Football Association to arrange at least a friendly against a European club as playing against better opponents is always productive. We actually have an invitation from Belgium. I am hopeful of an arrangement being made at the earliest.”

Maharjan is also not quite as ease training on artificial turf.

“Playing on the artificial turf isn’t the same as playing on a natural grass surface. Bounce of the ball, movement of the players and other technicalities are altered. This goes on to affect the performance during the match and ultimately the result,” he says.

Playing a pressing game while maintaining possession are other areas of the game that Nepal needs to improve on, Maharjan pointed out.

“Sustaining possession and creating adequate opportunities for the forwards are the aspects where we are still lacking. However, the team is confident of making the best use of set-pieces. I believe that is where our strength lies,” he says.

On his assessment of the opponents at the upcoming Games, Mahrajan says Nepal fall woefully short when it comes to the training facility and match exposure.

“All the other participating nations have raised their game and standards. Many of them have set up camps in better playing conditions, even in Europe, and have been playing against stronger opponents. Now it is no longer just India who have taken huge strides that we should be aiming to win against.” he says.

Maharjan believes that enhancing the quality of domestic platform for age-group teams with international exposure against better sides is the only way to build a stronger and confident team.

Arpan Karki, a promising custodian in the side, feels the same.

“As the defending champions and hosts, we do have a bit of pressure as well. But as some of the players in the team have been playing at the World Cup and Asia Cup qualifiers, their experience is helping us improve as well,” he says. “However, a bit of more training on a natural grass surface with the senior players and games of the full squad against stronger teams would have certainly served additional advantage. There are vast differences in playing in artificial surface and natural grass.”

Both Maharjan and Karki were elated at the fact that the ardent supporters of Nepali football would now get to watch their country contest at an international tournament at their own backyard after a long hiatus, as the only international football stadium of the country, the Dashrath Rangashala was undergoing repair works after having suffered damages in the April 2015 earthquake.

The age-group sides in the football tournament of the regional Games are allowed to field three senior players in the competition held along the format of football competition in the Olympic Games.

Nepal had identified five for the preliminary phase including the national team captain and goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, defender turned midfielder Rohit Chand, midfielders Bikram Lama and Sujal Shrestha and forward Nawayug Shrestha. Maharjan did not reveal the three senior players who would be playing at the Games.