When Pema Dolma Lama scored the first international goal for Nepal's women’s team against Uzbekistan during the 1999 AFC Women’s Championship in the Philippines, she did not expect women’s football to reach the heights it has of late.

“It is a proud moment,” Dolma told the Post. “Now the women’s team is targeting the World Cup in 2031.”

Football has long been Nepal’s most beloved sport, capturing the nation's passion like no other. But the love accumulated through men’s football is now being carried forward by women.

Still, reaching the World Cup feels like a far-fetched dream for a country like Nepal. However, according to the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), football’s governing body in Nepal, steps are being taken to make women’s football capable of achieving the feat.

“Nepal has never been to the football World Cup. It was never within our reach,” said ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah. “But the women’s team can help us realise it now. We have a golden generation of women’s football, and ANFA is not taking this chance lightly.”

Nepal can enter the fight for a seat in the FIFA World Cup 2031 if they make it to the 2026 AFC Asian Cup. “If the women’s team enters the Asian Cup, Nepal will enter the World Cup qualifiers. Thus, our major target now is the Asian Cup Qualifiers,” Shah added.

According to ANFA, it will not be easy to emerge victorious in the group of the Asian Cup Qualifiers. “And since we do not want to let this chance go in vain, ANFA has started the process to hire a foreign coach with a UEFA pro-license,” Shah told the Post.

ANFA has said it will open applications for the post of Nepal’s women’s senior head coach soon. It was decided at a meeting on women’s football by the concerned ANFA officials on Tuesday. The meeting was a result of the ANFA Executive Committee’s decision to create a long-term plan for the development of women’s football.

Meanwhile, the national team, which was led by Rajendra Tamang during the four-nation tournament in February, is currently coachless.

“Tamang was appointed the coach on a tournament basis. The post is currently vacant,” said Shah. “We are not taking Nepali coaches lightly, but as we have a big goal, we need a more experienced coach, one from overseas.”

ANFA stressed that it has a small window to hire a foreign coach because the AFC Qualifiers begin on June 23. Similarly, national players will be busy in the Lumbini Cup: Women’s Football Tournament in Nepalgunj from April 3 to 13.

“ANFA has also decided to upgrade the selection criteria for the national team and closed camps,” said Shah. “We want our best players on the field to take us to the grand stage. Alongside bringing a top-level coach, ANFA will also prioritise diet and training facilities for the squad.”

It would not be the first time that a foreign coach has taken the helm of women’s football in Nepal. Australia’s Gary Philips was the head coach for a year (2021-22), but he failed to yield the team desirable results.

Nepal’s women’s team are yet to win an international tournament. Losing to Myanmar in February in the International Women’s Championship title match was the 13th time that Nepal failed to win in the finals. Nepal have lost in the final of the SAFF Women’s Championship six times alone.

“Bringing a foreign coach does not mean that everything will be better at once,” Dolma, who is also an executive member at ANFA, said. “But it will raise hopes. Our players are currently at an international level, and we need a coach to match.”

Three Nepali national players have been playing in top-level foreign leagues. Of them, goalie Anjila Tumbapo Subba and striker Rekha Poudel are in Greece and the UAE, respectively. Furthermore, Nepal’s all-time leading scorer, goal machine Sabitra Bhandari, aka Samba, is playing in the highest division of France—D1 Arkema—for En Avant Guingamp.

Even Nepal’s new men’s head coach Matt Ross, while taking charge on March 3, praised women players of Nepal and suggested that more players, including midfield maestro Preeti Rai, were more than capable of making it to the bigger leagues.

“ANFA is also discussing different ways of motivating women players, organising a franchise league and taking women’s football to greater heights,” Shah said.

Asian Cup Qualifiers

On March 27, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the draw for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, where 34 teams were divided into six groups of four teams and two groups of five.

Nepal were drawn in a group of four—Group H—with Uzbekistan, Laos and Sri Lanka. Uzbekistan will be hosting the group games, where the four teams will play in a single round-robin format, and the top team, on a points basis, will qualify for the Asian Cup in Australia.

Nepal will play their first game against Laos on June 29, Sri Lanka on July 2, and Uzbekistan on July 5. All the games will be hosted in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan.

Nepal are the second-best team in Group H as per the FIFA Women’s World Ranking. Ranked 99 out of 196+ countries, Nepal’s major challenger in the qualifiers will be 50th-placed Uzbekistan. Laos and Sri Lanka are ranked 107th and 158th, respectively.

“ANFA is also lobbying with higher-ranking nations for friendlies since they will be an effective preparation for the Asian Cup qualifiers,” said Shah.

It is only the second time that Nepal will be playing in the Asian Qualifiers. In the qualifiers in 2022, Nepal lost to the Philippines and drew with Hong Kong, and did not progress further.

“This time it will be different,” said Dolma, who is also the president of the ANFA Women’s Association. “Our players are more experienced than before. We will make it to the Asian Cup, and then begins Mission 2027-31.”

ANFA has planned Mission 2027-31 to come into effect after Nepal qualifies for the Asian event. It is being led by ANFA vice-president Dipak Khatiwada. Asia has six slots in the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup.