KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 27
Nepal national team head coach Abdullah Almutairi has extended his contract after he signed a new deal with Qatar Football Association.
The AFC coaching instructor and pro license holder, Almutairi - who has a contract until September next year - said the new agreement will come into effect from January 2022. "After meetings with Karma Tsering Sherpa [ANFA President)] and QFA officials, I decided to sign a new contract with the All Nepal Football Association for three years to continue my job in Nepal," Almutairi wrote on Facebook.
"Thanks to Qatar FA for the support."
Almutairi, who took over the Nepal national team in April and guided the side to historic final of the SAFF Championship in Maldives earlier this month, said he would announce the two-year plans and programmes.
"We will publish our targets and plans for the next two years soon," he wrote adding that he needed time to make the future of Nepali football better. "The love you showed to me is more important than anything else, so let me stay in your hearts always," he added.
Almutairi said it was not only him who needed support and love from Nepali fans. "The players need it too. Support us, believe in us and love us," he asked the fans.
Almutairi was sent to Nepal by Qatar FA following the request of ANFA in March under the agreement of the two parties to help in the development of the game in 2018.
The new agreement has ended the clouds over his return to Nepal as the coach had made various statements through social media platforms.
He announced his resignation through Facebook in July accusing ANFA Senior Vice-president Pankaj Nembang of not letting him work independently and he was also involved with a controversy with two journalists.
The ANFA had to request the Ministry of Youth and Sports to launch a probe and the National Sports Council-formed committee instructed the ANFA to caution the coach regarding the use of social media.
Almutairi also said the SAFF Championship final against India would be his last match and that he would never return to Nepal. Almutairi, who was forced to watch his side face a 3-0 defeat at the hands of India in the final from stands due to suspension, said no one was able to remove Nepal from his heart after the end of the match.
Almutairi headed to Qatar from Maldives where he was joined by ANFA President Sherpa, who posted a photo of their meeting on Facebook.
Sherpa also met with Qatar FA officials during his stay.
"We had discussed about the matter in a meeting with Qatar FA officials and agreed to extend the contract," he added. "This is a three-party agreement. The coach and Qatar FA signed the contract today and we will ink the deal later," he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 28, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
