12 October 2011

Nepal coach 'ashamed' of performance vs Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - The head coach of the Nepal national football team is disappointed over his side's performance against the Philippine Azkals last Tuesday in the Rizal Memorial Stadium.


Nepal coach Graham Roberts with Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
Graham Roberts' players were thoroughly outclassed by the Azkals, losing 0-4 against an inspired Philippine side.

"I am feeling ashamed of my boys for the first time," Roberts said in the post-match presser, as reported by Goal Nepal, the country's football portal.

"We didn't play football. We didn't pass the ball," he added. "I would like to blame the first half. We were outclassed but we played better football in the second half."

He was especially disappointed in their defense, calling it "dismal."

The Azkals are ranked lower than Nepal in the FIFA rankings, something that coach Roberts dismissed as unimportant before the match.

"Rankings is not a great deal and low rank doesn't mean they are weak," he told Nepalese website My Republica. "I have seen the Philippines side play, they are a very tough side."

But Roberts is treating the loss as a learning experience for his players, as they prepare for the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup in India on December.

"It's not our night," he said. "We are on a month-long tour. We are touring to learn more. Boys need this exposure trip ahead of our main target, the SAFF Championship."

He also praised the Azkals for a "superb" performance.

"They played better football. You will be punished if you don't play good football," Roberts said. -- by Camille Naredo, abs-cbnNEWS.com

ABS CBN News

3 comments:

  1. Ayokong makita yung Azkals in the near future na naka-asa lng sa ating foreign-based players...ngayon palng nga eh na nabuo yung "almost dream team" of Weiss with the absence of Shrock and Ott, ay almost maganda talaga performance nila at to d max yung praises ni coach at ng team as a whole.......the reality is that most of these players will only be available during International Friendlies so, kung hindi naka-align sa FIFA calendar yung match na sasalihan ng Azkals ano mangyayari? back to draws and losses na naman so, yan yung point ko the management and the head coach should be stringent in developing our football athletes to their full potential....

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  2. "kung hindi naka-align sa FIFA calendar yung match na sasalihan ng Azkals ano mangyayari? back to draws and losses na naman"

    You make it sound like we're a powerhouse with or without our European based players. Yes we've improved and even overachieved this year. But to expect us to win and put in good performances on a regular basis especially without our European based players.... that's just being absolutely clueless!!

    "point ko the management and the head coach should be stringent in developing our football athletes to their full potential.."

    The senior national team isn't the place for developing players for the sake of it. Sure, every now and then the coach will most likely give some playing to others specifically the locals for further experience but that's about it.

    If you have beef with the (lack of) development of the local players then take it up the PFF, the clubs, high schools, colleges or whatever else to properly bring up the locals to a decent standard that could be considered good enough for the national team in the future. You can't sit their and blame or put pressure on the coach and the rest of the management of the national for that. As I've said, it's the national team, it's not the place for development for the sake of development.

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  3. "point ko the management and the head coach should be stringent in developing our football athletes to their full potential.."

    This is not Weiss and Dan Palamis job. There job is to assemble the best team using the best player. Developing new football talent belong to a different department. And YES the 2nd poster is right "The senior national team isn't the place for developing players "

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