Mosavi set to create history

RPRAJWAL OLI

SOURCE: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, May 8: For the first time in club football history of Nepal, a foreigner is all set to represent a Nepali club in an international football tournament. Shayan Mosavi, a Danish national, will be representing Nepal from New Road Team (NRT) in the AFC President´s Cup qualifiers to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from next week.

Mosavi, a key player of the NRT and one of the best strikers of the domestic football league is eager to repeat his rip-roaring performance in the President´s Cup.

Mosavi had an unforgettable role as a striker for NRT that qualified for the President´s Cup as the first leg toppers in the first division football that was stalled for three years due to internal disputes. Until the completion of 18th match of NRT, Mosavi stands second in the list of highest scorers with 13 goals under his belt.

Among more than a dozen foreigner footballers of various domestic clubs in the season, Mosavi has proved to be the best. He is one among two players to score double hat-trick in the ongoing league along with the highest scorer Santosh Sahukhala of Three Star with 17 goals under his belt.

The tournament carries a great significance for both Mosavi and NRT. Mosavi will be participating in an international tournament for the first time in his career while NRT will be vying in an international tournament after about a decade.

“I m really excited about the President´s Cup as it will be my first international football in career,” said Mosavi.

Mosavi, 19, arrived Nepal two years back with his six-member family, a year later after his father was transferred to Danish embassy in Nepal as the counselor of finance.

Mosavi, a 12th grade student of Lincoln School, played B division football from PSB, Copenhagen while he was in Denmark. Regarding his experience in the Nepal´s top flight football, he said, “It´s great fun and experience for me to play here. The game here is physically very tough.”

Apart from his friendly relations with his teammates, he has also many friends in other clubs like Nepal Police Club and Three Star Club. Mosavi came into the sight of NRT Coach Diken Suwal during the 5-A-Side football tournament organized about a year ago. “He displayed an impressive game in the tournament,” said Suwal who finds all the qualities in him to be a professional footballer. “Mosavi has got all the qualities to be a professional footballer, he is a good striker and has a great footballing sense,” Suwal added.

“Mosavi´s affiliation to the club has been a replacement of striker Anil Gurung, who is enrolled in Silong Lajong, a first division outfit of I-League,” Suwal said.
Regarding the President´s cup coach Suwal is optimistic that his side will throw a tough challenge against the other teams in the group A. However, he laments on the short preparation time for the President´s Cup.

“We were bound to prepare only within two weeks due to the ongoing league. Besides this, lack of enough time for recovery of injured players and hot climate could be a drawback for the team,” Suwal said.

NRT pitted in group A will play against Abahani Limited of Bangladesh on May 12, Dordoi Bishkek of Kyrgyzstan on 14 and Hasus NTCPE of Chinese Taipei on May 16.

League champions of 17 countries, who are categorized under ´C-level´ of Asian Football Confederation, will vie for the President´s Cup title.


NRT´s participation in International Football

1985 Asian Club Championship Colombo, Sri Lanka
1996 Asian Club Championship New Delhi, India
1996 Promise Cup Maldives
2010 AFC President´s Cup Dhaka, Bangladesh