Prakash Kafle / Kathmandu. In recent times, Nepal’s football has been continuously declining. Once known as a powerhouse in South Asia, the fact that Nepal’s football is currently on a continuous downward trend is not new. The conflict between Nepali football players and ANFA has further intensified this situation. However, the recent FIFA ranking has brought special joy to Nepali football supporters and well-wishers. The Nepal men’s national football team has shown remarkable improvement in the latest FIFA rankings. According to the recently published data, Nepal has moved up from 182nd position to 175th position, which is seen as a jump of seven places. Although the team has recorded three draws and two losses in its last five matches, the performance is considered improving.
In the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers held on March 25, 2025, Nepal lost 2–0 to Malaysia. However, controversy has arisen regarding this match. Malaysia fielded Brazilian-origin Hector Hevel, and questions have been raised about his eligibility to play. Hevel even scored a goal in the match, which has deepened the controversy. According to football rules, if a team is proven to have used an ineligible player, the opposing team is awarded a 3–0 “forfeit win.” Because of this, analysts have pointed out that Nepal may receive additional points. This event shows that in football, not only on-field performance but also rules and administrative aspects have a major impact.
Nepal’s recent ranking improvement is considered a historic achievement. In the last five matches, Nepal has recorded three draws and two losses, without securing a single win. Despite this, Nepal has successfully climbed from 182nd to 175th position. The main reason behind this is the decision of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). In the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers match held on March 25, 2025, the Malaysia national football team defeated the Nepal national football team by 2–0, but since Malaysia fielded Hector Hevel, he was considered an ineligible player. Later, the AFC determined that the rules had been violated, overturned the result of the match, and declared the Nepal national football team the winner by 3–0. At that time, Malaysia was ranked 121st and Nepal 182nd; therefore, gaining a technical win against a much higher-ranked team proved highly beneficial for Nepal. This is the reason Nepal climbed seven positions at once.
Similarly, as some of Malaysia’s other matches were also overturned, their ranking dropped by around 14 positions. According to the FIFA ranking system (ELO method), defeating a higher-ranked team yields more points, which is why Nepal gained significant ranking points. This incident clearly shows that in football, both on-field performance and rules and administrative decisions are equally important.
Although this ranking improvement is encouraging for Nepal, maintaining it through consistent good performance in upcoming matches will be challenging. Especially since the final decision regarding the eligibility dispute with Malaysia is still pending, it is expected that it may further affect the ranking in the future.
बिना जितमा नै ७ स्थानको छलाङ! के हो नेपालको फिफा बरियताक्रम सुधारको रहस्य?
