Pre-match notes: Azkals v. Nepal

• A former student who now covers sports said ABS-CBN will air the Philippines-Nepal match live tomorrow, from the ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) complex in the Kathmandu neighboring city of Patan.
• This afternoon we met with some old timers from the Filipino Community of Nepal and the Nepali-Filipino Association: Rose Budhatokhi, Salve Shakya, Marivic Gurung. 
• They said they didn't know about the match until last week when I contacted Ate Rose out of the blue. A complete stranger then, I hope I didn't startle her. (Well, not that totally, as I learned that she was a Facebook and real-life friend of another faculty colleague, who himself is now based in the Middle East. Another testament to the the six degrees of separation theory, less if you're talking about Filipinos.)
• This afternoon, over coffee, momo (a Nepalese dumpling) and some sweets at the Opium restaurant on Durbar Marg, we learned that tickets must have sold out already. The AND A venue is a training facility not really designed for large crowds. The main stadium, Dasarath Rangasala, was damaged during the 2015 earthquake and was not yet ready to accommodate fans, they said.
• Nevertheless they are in touch with the team and will show up tomorrow for the 2 pm match (4:15 pm, Philippine time).
• Salve Shakya, a 20-year-something Nepal resident and president of the NFA, said the team would host a meet and greet at their hotel after the match, unless the Philippines consul decided to take over.
• The team is staying at a hotel 5 km away from where we're lodging, and has an extra star rating. But, said Salve, some players had asked for adobo. They have been away five days. 
• Another long-time resident, Marivic Gurung, said that despite having two groups, the FCN and NFA got along fine. She shrugged when I asked if she was related to Nepal football star Anil Gurung.

From Kathmandu

AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifier: Azkals in Nepal

Kathmandu - This is a coverage of the Philippines match tomorrow against the Nepal team. A win tomorrow will usher the Azkals (116th in the FIFA rankings) to the final round of the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE.

Earlier this year, the Filipino footballers beat the Nepalese, 4-1, in Manila. They are on top of Group F with eight points, as against Nepal's one. Should they lose before a very partisan Nepalese crowd under circumstances favourable to the home team (FIFA No. 176) the Azkals will have to hurdle Tajikistan (FIFA No. 123) in March.

For one, the weather is much cooler, ranging from the midterms to the low 20s (think Baguio in February). It's always around the 30s in the Philippines. It's a consolation that many of our players have lived in colder climates.

Food is another concern. Unless they have their own cooks, the Azkals will have to contend with Nepalese cuisine which is Indian-, Tibetan-, and Thai-influenced. As such, curry is used a lot, along with other spices.

The water, tea, coffee, soda, even beer may be unfamiliar. Fortunately the team has been here since Wednesday. Their guts should have adjusted by then.

 And the altitude.

Also, the Nepal cricket team just made history yesterday with an upset of powerhouse India in another Asia Cup, in Malaysia. Morale is on the side of their football squad.

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 This coverage is very personal, made possible by my wife's single mindedness and with the help of friends. I don't represent any newspaper or network. But I will be at the venue.

I won't find out till tomorrow who among the Filipino sportswriters will be at the All Nepal Football Association complex.

 This early, my thanks to Jimmy Domingo, my faculty colleague at La Salle, and his former students (at Ateneo) who are now journalists in Nepal. Bikash Karki and Kaushal Adhikari arranged with their friends/contacts at ANFA. This afternoon Bikash said I would get media accreditation. Now it just got serious.