Nepal national under-17 football team
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| Nickname(s) | The Junior Gorkhalis |
|---|---|
| Association | All Nepal Football Association |
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) |
| Sub-confederation | SAFF (South Asia) |
| Head coach | Upendra Man Singh |
| Captain | Manish Karki |
| Home stadium | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium |
| FIFA code | NEP |
| AFC U-16 Championship | |
| Appearances | 3 (first in 2000) |
| Best result | Group-stages: 2000, 2006, 2014 |
Nepal national under-17 football team (Nepali: नेपाल राष्ट्रीय U-17 फूट्बल टिम) is the under-17 football (soccer) team of Nepal. The team recently participated in the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship.
In the mid-1980s, FIFA provided financial assistance and sent a number of coaches to help Nepal launch its first youth programme, which was geared towards spotting talent at the grassroots level (such as in schools, for example) and providing young players with the necessary know-how, both on and off the pitch. The initial five-year plan helped half the players groomed under the first youth programme to find a place in the national side, and the team that won the 2 gold medals in the first and sixth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games mostly consisted of the players from that youth programme.
ANFA asked FIFA for financial assistance to check the downslide of Nepalese domestic football and in 1998, FIFA agreed to donate funds through its Financial Assistance Programme (FAP), thereby allowing ANFA to construct a secretariat along with a football pitch and a hostel in Kathmandu to launch its youth development programme. The two-year intensive training period for the youth players selected in 1998 produced a number of skilful players, who recently participated in the ninth SAF Games (Pakistan, 29 March - 5 April). The same team had earlier topped its group in the Asian Cup preliminary round in March 2004.
However despite reaching the finals tournament of the 2000 AFC Youth Championship in Vietnam, Nepal refused to participate in a biological age test, and as a result was banned from the 2002 AFC Youth Championship. This, along with the Maoist uprising left manager Stephen Constantine to resign.
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