In September, football fans in Nepal were eagerly waiting to see Hamza Choudhury, the Leicester City–trained midfielder, take the field against Bangladesh in Kathmandu. They wanted to witness the Premier League star’s flair live and see how their national team matched up against him. But that didn’t happen — Hamza missed the fixture window, leaving fans disappointed.
This time, however, they may finally get their wish. On November 13, Bangladesh will host Nepal in Dhaka for an international friendly, and Hamza is expected to play. For Nepal’s head coach Hari Khadka and his team — including Kiran Chemjong and Anjan Bista — the excitement is palpable.
Originally, Bangladesh were set to face Afghanistan in Dhaka, but with Afghanistan’s November 18 match against Myanmar being cancelled, the door opened for Nepal to step in. The fixture will serve as a crucial warm-up for both teams before their respective AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers — Bangladesh will face India in Dhaka on November 18, while Nepal will take on Malaysia.
For Hari Khadka, a former national team striker and current AFC ‘A’ License holder, this will be his debut match as head coach of Nepal’s senior men’s team. Speaking from Kathmandu, he said:
“It’s my first time as head coach of the men’s national team, and it’s both a challenge and a huge responsibility. We’ll be facing strong opponents like Bangladesh and Malaysia, and I want the boys to deliver their best.”
Nepal will start their training camp on November 6 before traveling to Dhaka. Coach Khadka knows the challenge that lies ahead:
“Bangladesh have been improving recently. They played well when they visited Nepal in September and also showed strong performance against Hong Kong. And now they have Hamza Choudhury — a player who can change the tempo of a match on his own. Still, football is a team game, and we’ll prepare collectively. But yes, we’re all looking forward to facing Hamza’s Bangladesh. It will be a special experience for everyone.”
The coach also spoke about his long-term dream — seeing Nepali-origin players from abroad represent the national team, something countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan are already doing.
“Due to legal restrictions, we currently can’t include expatriate players. But our federation and the government are trying to change that. Once the law allows it, we’ll be able to bring in talented Nepali players from overseas.”
For Hari Khadka, the upcoming trip to Dhaka feels almost like a homecoming. He played against Bangladesh in the 1999 SAFF Games, and later represented Brothers Union and Mohammedan SC in the Bangladesh Premier League.
“Bangladesh feels like my second home. I made many friends there — Alfaz Ahmed, Matiur Munna, Jewel Rana — and it’ll be emotional to return after so many years. Alongside the match, I’ll also try to reconnect and relive some old memories.”
Currently, six Nepali footballers — including captain Kiran Kumar Limbu — play in Bangladesh’s domestic league, which Khadka believes gives his team an added advantage in local conditions.
Kiran echoed the enthusiasm:
“It’ll be a good match. We missed the game in Kathmandu due to protests, but now we’re finally getting the chance — and Hamza Choudhury will be there. We’re all waiting for it.”
With Bangladesh ranked 183rd and Nepal 180th in the FIFA rankings, both sides are evenly matched. Yet, the inclusion of Hamza and the emotional return of Nepal’s new coach to Dhaka have set the stage for an engaging and competitive clash.
