Nepali supporters best in the world: Roberts

KATHMANDU, MAR 15 -

Outgoing Nepali coach Graham Paul Roberts will be heading home on Thursday without any notable achievement with the national side he took over a little more than a year ago, but the Englishman’s stint in the country was highly successful in terms of the respect he earned from Nepali supporters.

Roberts has 4,000 friends on his Facebook, half of whom are Nepalis. Soon as his imminent departure from the country hits the headlines, more than 200 posts have been made requesting him to stay behind and ‘saluting’ his contribution to Nepali football.

Nishandt Bhusal has printed a tea-shirt that reads, “Roberts Please Stay in Nepal.” Ashish Hang Rai writes that he is not the only one who is crying over Roberts’ departure but the whole country is in tears to see him go back home.

Many others have credited him for putting Nepal at par with the other South Asian teams, while other have rated him as the best coach to grace Nepali football ever. His arrival, according to a lot of fans, ushered back the lost football culture in the country.

Raman Khatri credits him for brining back life at the Dashrath Stadium. “It is because of you Nepali people come to stadium to cheer for their team. We are going to miss you sir. We hope to see you back again,” he posted on Roberts’Facebook.

It was probably because of this reason that Roberts gave much of his time in farewell speech talking about the Nepali supports describing them as ‘absolutely fantastic’ and ‘best in the world’ “They remind me of my days at Tottenham Hotspurs, Chelsea and Glasgow Rangers. They come in thousands and they love the team,” he said requesting his players to give them their 100 percent so that the team doesn’t lose their support.

Roberts was a respected man among his peers and his fans alike in the country. His reputation as a successful player and his wining results as soon as he took over the side helped him reach the height in a very short while. It cannot be denied that the Nepali team flourished a lot under his leadership. Physical fitness, quick exchanges and a fast paced game were some of the traits he developed. But off the qualities he had, his motivational words ahead of every matches was the key to his popularity among his team members. Nepal skipper Sagar Thapa said, “He has given the team the much needed shape. His belief that every match should be played for a win helped us bag some important results.”

Though Nepal’s performance in the AFC Challenge Cup was forgettable, with the host crashing out goalless, Roberts believes that it was a ‘thin line’. “I actually believe with the quality we had we could have reached the semi-finals. It’s like a thin line,” he said.

Roberts also denied accusations that he was pressurised by the Anfa President Ganesh Thapa in important decisions. “The president has been absolutely fantastic for me,” he insists. “I have always made the final decisions. I appreciate all his help.”