LALITPUR, August 15

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Saturday trimmed the national team for a friendly match against India to be held later this month at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune.

In the first round selection, ANFA picked up 30 players from the 45-member squad after the four-week training. ANFA has picked three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, nine midfielders and eight forwards for the second phase training. ANFA has included five U-19 players — Anjan Bista, Bishwash Shrestha, Ananta Tamang, Hemanta Thapa Magar and Bimal Gharti Magar — for the August 31 match. They will also represent Nepal in SAFF U-19 Championship slated for August 20-29 in Kathmandu.

The 30-member preliminary squad includes six players each from Nepal Police Club and Ruslan Three Star Club, five from Tribhuvan Army Club and four each from Nepal APF Club and Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club. Kiran Chemjong, Ritesh Thapa and Bikesh Kuthu are the goalkeepers, while Sagar Thapa, Sandip Rai, Robin Shrestha, Biraj Maharjan, Rohit Chand, Ranjit Dhimal, Ananta Tamang, Aditya Chaudhary, Ajit Bhandari and Jitendra Karki are defenders.

Likewise, Bikram Lama, Bishal Rai, Bhola Nath Silwal, Jagajeet Shrestha, Sushil KC, Shyam Nepali, Raju Tamang, Hemanta Thapa Magar and Bishwas Shrestha are midfielders, whereas Ranjan Bista, Anil Gurung, Bharat Khawas, Jumanu Rai, Nawayug Shrestha, Bharat Shah, Anjan Bista and Bimal Gharti Magar are strikers. Dhruba KC is the head coach of the squad, while Hari Khadka is his deputy. ANFA Member Ramesh Rayamajhi is the team manager for the friendly match.