Altogether 46 football players have been  selected for the closed camp  ahead  of the 9th South Asian Federation Games (SAF) to he held in Islamabad, Pakistan, from October 6-15, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Rana group said.

Training will start Thursday. Twenty-five players will be finally selected for the second phase of training. All the footballers participated in the recently concluded 25th national football championship in the capital.

The selected players: Bipin Singh Dhami, Lokendra Dev Chand, Lalit Chand, Deep Shrestha, Pradip Rana, Ritesh Khadka, Pralahad B.C., Jabar Ahmad, Janak Bista, Rajendra Tamang, Bishal Gauchan, Chandra Gurung, Bil Tamang, Raj Kumar Shrestha, Madhu Tamang and Deependra Tamang. Prakash Ranamagar, Kedar Shrestha, Manoj Thapa, Mahendra Khawas, Narayan Manandhar, Ramesh Gyawali, Kailash Dangol, Ujjal Manandhar, Aita Singh Tamang, Raj Kumar K.C., Jeevesh Pandey, Naresh Shrestha, Naresh Thapa,, Janak Singh, Binod Khadgi, Lokesh Thapa, Ananta Thapa, Sanjib Joshi, Kishore Subba, Raju Kutawal, Ramesh Budhatokhi, Deependra Poudel, Surendra Tamang, Suraj Khaling, Hari Thakuri, Prabesh Katuwal, Bishwa Pokhrel, Purna Subba, Anil Subba and Ritesh Thapa.

Nepal lost to Bangladesh in the soccer finals of the 8th SAF Games held in Kathmandu from September 25 to October 4 in 1998.