Subas Humagain, Kathmandu
In the Nepal Super League (NSL) Auction teams showed little interest in signing Nepali goalkeepers. Surprisingly, all three national team goalkeepers remained unsold at one point. However, after observing the first six matches of the NSL, it seems that the decision to hire foreign goalkeepers has not significantly benefited the teams. On the other hand, the opportunities given to Nepali goalkeepers have prompted other teams to rethink their strategy.
Before the league started, national team captain Kiran Chemjong, who is a free agent at the moment did not sign with any team. The situation stirred discussions in the football community. Kiran admitted no teams were ready to match his demands and he instead opted to play in a foreign league, which till date has not happened. Additionally, Deep Karki needed to wait until second round to be sold while likes of Bikesh Kuthu and Bishal Sunar are not involved went unsold. This indicated that clubs opted for overseas goalkeepers.
FC Chitwan surprised everyone by signing a foreign goalkeeper despite retaining their captain Bishal Shrestha in the A category. Meanwhile, Dhangadhi signed two Nepali goalkeepers through the auction and draft but opted for a foreign goalkeeper as well.
Among the teams, only Butwal Lumbini did not sign a foreign goalkeeper, and early signs in the league shows trusting Nepali Goalies has worked. In their first game, goalkeeper Deep played a crucial role in keeping Butwal in a goalless draw against a team with only ten players, earning the Player of the Match award.
Kathmandu placed their trust in Abhishek Baral, who has previously secured a spot in the national squad. Although Senegalese foreign goalkeeper Cheikh Gueye was part of the team, Patrick De Wilde played five foreign outfield players instead of the goalkeeper, which worked well for them. Abhishek’s performance helped Kathmandu hold Jhapa to a stalemate in their second game, where he was also named Player of the Match.
Pokhara substituted their foreign goalkeeper, Priso Njanga with Krishna Moktan after conceding three goals against Lalitpur City, making the decision based on Priso’s poor performance and the positive impact of fielding five foreign outfield players.
Jhapa introduced Anjal Shrestha in the final minutes of their match against Kathmandu after their main goalkeeper, Montenegrin Nemanja Lemajic, got injured. As the league progresses, teams are likely to continue making such decisions.
After six matches, foreign players have been awarded Player of the match award four times, while only two were Nepali, both of whom were goalkeepers. Among the foreign players, all four were midfielders.
In their latest game, Chitwan brought in Nigerian forward Yusuf Malik at the last minute, as both of Chitwan’s wingers could not play the full match. Should Chitwan choose to let Malik play, there’s a chance senior figure Bishal would start as he has been in excellent form.
For Dhangadhi, Nigerian Olawale Afeej remained on the bench for his first game. Coach Martinez Saez opted for a stronger attacking option, which could lead to Jiyarat or Santosh taking the place of Spanish goalkeeper Walid Esafi.
Last season, Lalitpur City’s Jeffrey Baltus won the Golden Glove, but this time he has already conceded two goals each in both matches. If Lalitpur wants to field both Papa Kebe and Kervens Belfort in attack, it raises the possibility of goalkeeper Samit Shrestha starting, who played in the NSL last season with Sporting Ilam.
The influence of foreign players has been more evident in outfield positions rather than in goalkeeping. The improved performances of Nepali goalkeepers have shown other teams the possibility of advancing in this strategy. Despite being overlooked during the auction, Nepali goalkeepers have had their say when given chances. This has led teams to rethink whether they have made mistakes in their recruitment strategy.
