Nepal's performance in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers 2025 was excellent. But coach Patrick de Wilde is not about to sit still. Belgium's UEFA pro-licensed coach de Wilde expressed his grief. His complaint is from good hotel management to 'ice' for the players. He feels that ANFA is more interested in politics than planning.

He is clear on one fact, he came to Nepal for the players, not for such rascals. He spoke about his plans, pressure, performance and emotional connection with the team. Focusing on the poor management of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the lack of physical infrastructure and immobile priorities, Nayak Poudel for Kantipur with the coach Day Wild edited part of the conversation

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How was the first visit with the Nepali team, how did you get the response from the players? 

Asian Cup Qualifiers This journey has been quite magical. What our players did in Uzbekistan without modern technology and physical infrastructure is a lot. We also had a great comeback against Uzbekistan. Just imagine, what would happen if our team had the right support and technology? Nepali players need 'scouting' and 'profile'. There is nothing like that now. This is required for long-term planning. Now it's ANFA's turn to work. ANFA may or may not. I think they don't want to. 

If you want to work in this team, everyone should understand. What a team needs and what team spirit is. And the purpose of the team should be clear. The players are all clear about what they want and where they are going. I asked the players the same question in an hour and a half meeting on the first day, is this team going to be part of the plan? Or not? Then everything became clear at the beginning. Teams need a plan and a vision. And it should all be concrete. That's what I told the players. I also believed in that. Our rapport has been good since day one. The potential of our players is really high. 

Supporters have a lot of expectations from Nepali women's football, how will they manage such expectations? 

This is a work of another part. If there is a professional atmosphere, such pressure will be exerted by the media officers. They manage everything from player interviews to social media. Social media is now a part of our lives. But it should be managed properly, especially during competitions. Players should also be taught how to handle themselves emotionally. 

Even in the tiebreaker this time, some three/four players were not ready to shoot the penalty. Why? Because of the pressure. It wasn't just in the game. There was a video conference with people including the Prime Minister at 11 am. This put a lot of pressure on the players. I asked the Uzbek official, did you also get a call from the president of your country? The answer was no. Will President Perez hold a press conference when Real Madrid plays in the Champions League? do not keep Not all of this was for the benefit of the players. It was for the benefit of others. When Nepal won the first match, why didn't the same congratulatory message come? Why didn't anyone announce even a small prize? But everyone was waiting for the moment before the important game. Did someone call like that after losing the game? 

We did not lose the match against Uzbekistan. We're just out on penalties. We played against the 51st ranked team in the world and had a great comeback (remontada). We scored 20 goals in three games, what more do we need? 

What changes are needed in Nepali football now? 

requires first of all a vision, a technical plan. From the bottom to the top. A technical director is needed for four years. He should be able to work long hours. I only expressed my thoughts during the training, I couldn't do anything more than that. I asked ANFA for general kits needed for training, no reply. On the day of the match, the technical chief told me, 'Don't worry too much, do your best.' It didn't hurt me, but the players were shocked. They were in a crying mood. The way

players loved me, it's unbelievable. The way the Nepalese women's team played in the last match, I have never seen the men's teams of other countries play like that. They continued to create pressure. Preeti Rai is only 5 feet tall, but she keeps trying to jump and play against players who are much taller than her. Our players also know a different style of football. We played with three defenders, weaved attacks and it finally worked. That's it, the joy of giving to the coach. 

How was the relationship with the team management and other members? 

I have to say, I didn't even have a second choice. I did not find a helper who could help me. I used to appoint everything myself. I am ready to work with anyone, but they should also be qualified for it. What do I need an assistant who can't even open a computer and can't work with data.

If you don't have complete information about the player, how can you reach the next level? We didn't have GPS. Neither the camera in the training nor the details of the analysis. What should I do at this time? I am 61 years old. Happiness is the biggest thing for me at this age. I don't want to work in this environment anymore. This is not just a complaint, it is a reality. 

You talk to ANFA about these problems from Belgium?  Don't know the

. I will not contact myself. If I get a call I will answer. I want to go back to Nepal, just for the players. It would be a waste of time if I couldn't help the players. Training is necessary to play well. It also needs happiness. The players were dancing with joy. But this is not enough. The football leadership should do the work. If I come back, my aim will be to do serious work and change the face of Nepali women's football.

What happened outside the field, can you also explain about it? 

was a problem from day one. The players were put up in a hostel-like hotel. The food was bad. I asked if it was a budget problem or something else. I was made the head coach, but I was separated from the team and kept in a different hotel. I said, everyone should be in the same hotel. They tried to give me a three-star hotel, I asked for a four-star. At that time, ANFA officials felt that it would not be easy to work with this coach. This is all I wanted for the players. ANFA works for players and football.  There was also a dispute about who will be made the