Young Generation or the Experienced Ones??

It is not always the youth that produces games. Youthful vigor gives team the push forward while experience that tells what to do with the ball in any situation.

This post is Guest Article by Sujan Sharma, you can send yours at goal[at]givemegoal.com

As for our national team, there is always a call for a new generation of players. In the past two decades, generations after generations have come and gone without actually having performed. So called stars have been born out of the non performers and faded. For past editions of SAFF championship and the SAG games, the Nepalese team would essentially be the same meaning that most players were under 23. A national team of such a young average age is rarely seen for any good team in the international stage unless the team is going through a huge transition.

One reason for the perennial underperforming of the national team could be the lack of experienced veteran warheads. We can see a lot of such players in the world football scenario.Zinedine Zidane produced some of his greatest moments right before his retirement at the age of 34. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in their late 30’s for example are still the essence of Manchester United. Del Piero at 37 was the key man for Juventus till last term and Francesco Totti at 36 is still the prince of Rome.

Presence of such players does not just guarantee the production of the play but the also gives the youth in the team an example of who they can look up to. This does not mean that I am in favor of an old team but I believe that some players for whom age is just a number should not be overlooked. Such players can provide mentorship to the young ones playing in the same position. When looking at the Nepalese team specially in the struggling forward lineup there seems no one that can be called the leader. However there could be some alternatives that we have not been realizing.

One perfect example of gifted but older player is Nirajan Rayamajhi- the gifted striker who scored the highest number of goals for the national team(13) despite having left the country for the best portion of his youth. Its would not be wrong to say that this man is the showrunner for the Madhyapur team which is taking on Nepalese football by leaps and bounds. When speaking in terms of technique, he is still one of best strikers playing in Nepalese soil. It was not so long ago that he scored the goal. Players like him can be used in the national team to a great effect.

I don’t mean to say that he should have been picked up regardless of his shape and fitness. But what I mean to say is the importance of players like him should be realized. ANFA should have made players like him feel important rather than encouraging them to retire to make room for another batch of ANFA academy to fill the national team spots. As for this case we don’t have to go far to look for example. Baichung Bhutia was ever wanted in the Indian team and was played till he was 35 and retired at his own will. The ultimate factor that wins you a game is talent and not age. So it is high time that we realized it.

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