"I can promise you that we will have opportunities to score, after that it’s not me who will put the ball inside"

KATHMANDU: Newly-appointed head coach Patrick Aussems said preparing the Nepal national team for the SAFF Championships was his first priority.

Aussems, who will take charge of the national team from September 1, said new challenges brought him to Kathmandu. “It’s a pleasure for me and proud to be the national coach of Nepal. I had other opportunities but I decided to make this choice as I like challenges,” he said at a press conference today.

“We have a challenge in four months and I am here to bring my international experience for the Nepali football,” said Aussems, referring to the SAFF Championship slated for December in India. Aussems will travel to India to watch national team’s friendly match as an observer. The national team today left for India to play the one-off match against India on Monday.

The All Nepal Football Association hired the Belgian coach for $7,000 per month for six months.

“As we are dedicated to the development of football and its professionalism, we have hired a foreign coach for the national team,” said CEO Indra Man Tuladhar. “Nepal government will bear the salary of the coach ($42,000), while the ANFA will take care of the accommodation and local transportation,” he added. “We are able to beat all the teams in the region, but we have not been able to bring positive results for a long time. So we hired the coach for the upcoming SAFF Championship and SA Games tournaments,” he added.

Aussems said he would take the help of local coaches for 3-4 four weeks to know the players’ insight before going his own way. “I have come alone and we will decide about the coaching staff later,” he said. Regarding the inability of scoring, Aussems said: “A football team is everything, it’s an organisation. It’s a philosophy. I want a team, well-organised one and I want a team which can play football. There are some good players in the front line. I can promise you that we will have opportunities to score, after that it’s not me who will put the ball inside.”

Asked about the first priority, Aussems said he wanted to prepare the team and players who could win matches. “As a player and coach, I always want to win matches. So the priority is to prepare the team and players to win,” he said. “We have a challenge in four months, the next official tournament. I will work with junior players also as they are in U-19 final and there are lots of talent in the team,” said Aussems, who has the experience of coaching in France, Africa, China and Congo.

“Whenever a new coach comes in, he comes with a philosophy. These players have four months to follow my philosophy. I am here to bring my international experience and I hope that I could help young Nepali players to become better and better,” he said. “If a coach says something like I will win this or that, it’s a lie. I can promise work and I can promise way to play,” said Aussems when asked where he wanted to see Nepal in six months.