ANFA Looking to Boost Income at SAFF

The opening match of the SAFF Championship netted the All Nepal Football Association 5 million rupees on Saturday, as hosts Nepal defeated Bangladesh 2-0.

The Dashrath Rangasala Stadium, which can accommodate 25,000 people, played host to around 20,000 supporters, with 15,000 of them in the open area, and 2,500 situated in the Grand Stand. With tickets for the open parapet costing 300 rupees, and the Grand Stand costing 700, gate receipts easily exceeded 5 million rupees.

Fans of the Nepal national team packed the stadium well before the match began, and were enthusiastic throughout. They will be hoping to see their team meet with success at the current competition, and the hosts are indeed predicted to do well.

The ANFA is likely to receive the majority of funds won by the national team, and should they reach the final stage of competition, a realistic target, winnings could exceed 25 million rupees.

These funds will certainly be required if the Nepalese government is to continue its plans to build a new $10 million national stadium. This construction is planned to be a highly appointed modern stadium, and the aim is for it to be ready for use in 2018. There have already been four different potential locations selected, and the final place should have been decided by the end of this year.

This stadium will seat around 40,000 spectators, which will keep it in line with other national arenas around the world. The aim is for it to increase tourism and therefore income for the area. There are also plans for this stadium to accommodate English Premier League teams in high profile friendly competitions. Several of those teams are in fact planning stadium moves too, with Tottenham and Liverpool looking at new builds, and West Ham due to move into the Olympic stadium, thanks to several new sponsorship deals.

These giant clubs often visit South Asia on tours during their preseason, and it’s hoped that they’ll be more attracted by the prospect of playing in a 40,000 seat stadium. This would in turn mean excellent gate receipts for the ANFA.

Nepal is certainly looking to capitalise on its passionate football fan base. The beautiful game is the most popular sport in the country, giving the national team a certain edge when it comes to SAFF competitions. Other South Asian rivals hold cricket as their most popular sport. It makes sense then, that the government and ANFA want to take advantage of this large fan base.