Patrick De Wilde, the head coach of Nepal’s national women’s football team, has officially resigned. According to sources at the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), De Wilde submitted his resignation via email a few days ago.
The decision follows a controversial incident during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers held in Uzbekistan. In response to the situation, ANFA had sent a letter to De Wilde asking for clarification. Rather than responding directly, the coach chose to resign.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers turned tense for the Nepal team after a dispute over the captaincy. This disagreement reportedly caused friction between De Wilde and the team management. Following the qualifiers, De Wilde flew back to his home country, Belgium, stating in an interview that he would not return to Nepal unless ANFA changed its ways.
Upon returning to Nepal, the team’s head of delegation, manager, and assistant coaches held a press conference where they blamed De Wilde for the internal disputes, including the captain selection issue.
Nepal had shown promise in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, defeating Sri Lanka and Laos. However, a 3-3 draw against host Uzbekistan led to a tie-breaker loss, dashing Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the main tournament.
As of now, ANFA has not made an official decision regarding De Wilde’s resignation, as President Pankaj Bikram Nembang is currently abroad.
The resignation of Patrick De Wilde adds another chapter to the ongoing challenges within Nepal women’s football, and the focus now shifts to how ANFA will respond and restructure the coaching setup for future competitions.
