Kiran Kumar Limbu features in Vincenzo Alberto Annese's Nepal squad for 2023 SAFF Championship

Nepal have named their first selection of 30 players for the Championship.

Freshly-appointed Nepal National Football Team head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese has called 30 players up his SAFF Championships 2023 preliminary squad. The 2021 runners-up will be aiming to clear the final hurdle in the 14th edition scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from 21st June to 4th July.

The Gorkhalis are ranked 174th in the world. They were drawn in Group A with hosts India, Kuwait and Pakistan. Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh constitute Group B. Nepal were last in action during the Prime Ministers' Three Nations Cup held in the last week of March, beating Laos 2-1 in the final.

Italian Vincenzo Alberto Annese took over the head coach role from Prabesh Katuwal. A total of 168 applications were received by the ANFA, and Annese was selected out of a shortlist of 20. Annese was previously in charge of NorthEast United in the ISL. He guided Gokulam Kerala to consecutive I-League victories, a feat which the Malabarians are the first club to achieve.

Kiran Kumar Limbu, the custodian for newly-promoted ISL side RoundGlass Punjab, features in Annese's initial squad list.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Kiran Chemjong (RG Punjab FC), Deep Karki (Manang Marsyangdi Club), Bishal Shrestha (Machhindra Football Club)

Defenders:  Bimal Panday (Tribhuvan Army Football Club), Sanish Shrestha (APF Football Club), Ananta Tamang (Church Boys United), Devendra Tamang (Machhindra Football Club), Nishant Khadka (Sankata Club), Ashish Gurung (Manang Marsyangdi Club), Bikram Lama (Three Star Club), Rohit Chand (Persic Kedri), Simanta Thapa (Jawalakhel Youth Club), Anjal Maharjan (Friends Club)

Midfielders: Pujan Uperkoti (Machhindra Football Club), Arik Bista (Church Boys United), Nabin Lama (APF Football Club), Mani Kumar Lama (APF Football Club), Sudip Gurung (Satdobato Youth Club), Laken Limbu (Three Star Club), Avas Lamichhane (APF Football Club), Bishal Tamang (Jawalakhel Youth Club)

Forwards: Ayush Ghalan (Sankata Club), Nawayug Shrestha (Tribhuvan Army Football Club), Dipak Raj Singh Thakuri (Satdobato Youth Club), Anjan Bista (Church Boys United), Manish Dangi (Sankata Club), Aashish Chaudhary (Church Boys United), Bimal Gharti Magar (Machhindra Football Club), Gillespye Jung Karki (Tribhuvan Army Football Club), Dinesh Henjan (Tribhuvan Army Football Club)