The 2021–22 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League (Nepali: शहीद स्मारक ए डिभिजन लिग २०७८), also known as the Qatar Airways Martyr's Memorial A-Division League for sponsorship reasons, was the 44th edition of Nepal's Martyr's Memorial A-Division League since its establishment in 1954-55. A total of 14 teams competed in the league.
Machhindra F.C. were the defending champions. Due to time constraints, as the league was to finish after the qualification cut-off, the All Nepal Football Association decided that, rather than the eventual winner, the top team after matchday 7, Machhindra F.C., would represent the league in the 2022 AFC Cup preliminary round 1.
The league was scheduled to begin on 19 September 2021 but the date was pushed back to 15 November 2021 after multiple participating clubs demanded to postpone the league start due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. It was finally scheduled to be played from 19 November and matches were to be played only on weekends as opposed to being played throughout the week as had been the case during the previous seasons.
On 16 February 2022, after matchday 11, Machhindra F.C. were crowned as league winners for the second consecutive time.
Teams A total of 14 teams, all based in the Kathmandu Valley, contested the league with a relegation system. Thirteen teams from the 2019–20 season and one team promoted from the B-Division participated in the league. Satdobato Youth Club, who debuted in the A-Division league, replaced Saraswoti Youth Club who were relegated after five seasons in the league. Prior to the season, Nepal Army Club reverted their name back to Tribhuvan Army F.C., a name that the team had used until the 2010 season.
Location TeamLocationPrevious SeasonHimalayan Sherpa ClubKathmandu10thMachhindra F.C.1stNepal APF Club12thTribhuvan Army F.C.2ndNepal Police Club5thNew Road Team8thSankata BSC7thBrigade Boys ClubLalitpur13thChyasal Youth Club9thFriends Club11thJawalakhel YC6thSatdobato Youth Club1st (2020 B-Division)Three Star Club4thManang Marshyangdi ClubKathmandu3rd
Personnel and kits TeamHead CoachCaptainKit ManufacturerShirt SponsorBrigade Boys Club Sanoj Shrestha Anil GurungMFashionistaKhukri RumChyasal Youth Club Bal Gopal SahukhalaBiraj MaharjanUcanFriends Club Mrigendra Mishra Prakash BudhathokiUcanHimalayan Sherpa Club Yugal Kishor Rai Bishwas ShresthaKTM CTYNepal IceJawalakhel YC Kishor K.C.Kuldip KarkiLi-NingMachhindra F.C. Prabesh KatuwalSujal ShresthaT10 SportsPepe Pizza, Surf ExcelManang Marshyangdi Club Rajendra TamangAnjan BistaKTM CTYNepal Oil CorporationNepal APF Club Kumar Thapa Top Bahadur BistaKelmeAgni MahindraNepal Police Club Ananta Raj Thapa Ram Chandra WajeeKelmeNew Road Team Raju Kaji ShakyaBikram DhimalKelmeSankata BSC Bishnu Gurung Ravi SilwalUcanHimalayan BankSatdobato Youth Club Megh Raj K.C.Man Bahadur TamangT10 SportsGolden OakTribhuvan Army F.C. Nabin NeupaneBharat KhawasKelmeKedia GroupThree Star Club Urjan Shrestha Bikram LamaAdidasRuslan
Foreign players All Nepal Football Association allowed every team a maximum of four foreign players, including one from a SAARC-affiliated country. For the first time, one of the departmental teams, APF Club, signed foreign players. ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3SAARC PlayerFormer PlayerBrigade Boys Club Bertrand Ebode Ruddy Mbakop Dady Wamba Jr Gurpreet Singh ChhabalChyasal Youth Club Bikash Meraglia Moussa Abagana Ketcha Wannick Vijay Ponnurangam Shem MartonFriends Club Nathaniel García Jomoul Francois Ronnell Paul Rahul YadavHimalayan Sherpa Club Ulrich Siewe Pistone Mutamba Reo Nakamura Moinuddin Khan[Himalayan Sherpas aim to produce 'surprise' results] Jawalakhel YC Njimi Loic Florent Koara Onguna Nkengue Junior Nicholas FernandesMachhindra Football Club Nurlan Novruzov Sadig Guliyev Andres Nia Sonam Bhutia Kareem OmolajaManang Marshyangdi Club Franklin Kuete Oluwaunmi Somide Afeez Olawale Oladipo Dayananda Singh ElangbamNepal APF Club Kuriyama Yuya Adama Doumbiya Armand BeadumNepal Police ClubNew Road Team Messouke Oloumou Stephane Samir Andre Thierry Biyik BiyikSankata BSC Oluwasogo Glory Odeh Fode Fofana Jordan Junior Owana Uttam RaiSatdobato Youth Club Peter Segun Ajayi Martins Kayode Martin Adelphe Silo NangaTribhuvan Army F.C.Three Star Club Raphael Bidias Rim Yves Priso Ansumana Kromah Shem Marton Lalrammawia Rammawia
Venues The league was scheduled to be played centrally in two venues in two cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Initially, ANFA Complex was chosen to be the third venue in the Valley. Selected matches of Manang Marsyangdi Club were held in Pokhara to honour the club's origins, making it the first season with matches outside of the Kathmandu Valley. From matchday 13 onwards, ANFA Complex was reintroduced as a venue. KathmanduLalitpurPokharaDasarath RangasalaChyasal StadiumANFA ComplexPokhara RangasalaCapacity: 20,000Capacity: 10,000Capacity: 6,000Capacity: 18,500
League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Positions by round
Season statistics
Scoring
Top goalscorers As of 26 February 2022 RankPlayerTeamGoals1 Jomoul FrancoisFriends Club7 Messouke OloumouNew Road Team2 Sunil BalMachhindra6 Ajayi Martins KayodeSatdobato Youth Club Olawale Afeez OladipoManang Marshyangdi Club3 Aashish LamaNepal APF Club5 Anjan BistaManang Marshyangdi Club Uttam RaiSankata BSC4 Bikki TamangNepal APF Club4 Bimal Gharti MagarMachhindra FC Darshan GurungNew Road Team George Prince KarkiTribhuvan Army Nathaniel GarcíaFriends Club Pistone MutambaHimalayan Sherpa Club Suman LamaNepal Police Club
Hat-tricks PlayerForAgainstResultDate Ajayi Martins KayodeSatdobato Youth ClubNepal APF Club4–13 December 2021 Afeez Olawale OladipoManang Marshyangdi ClubChyasal Youth Club5–08 January 2022 Messouke OloumouNew Road TeamNepal Police Club3–126 February 2022
Clean sheets RankPlayerTeamClean sheets1 Bishal ShresthaMachhindra112 Yves PrisoThree Star Club63 Ajit PrajapatiNew Road Team5 Bikesh KuthuTribhuvan Army Raja Babu ThapaSankata BSC4 Abhishek BaralSatdobato Youth Club4 Tikendra Singh ThapaJawalakhel Youth Club5 Bishal SunarManang Marshyangdi Club3 Kuriyama YuyaNepal APF Club
Awards
End-of-season awards AwardWinnerClubPlayer of the Season Sunil BalMachhindra F.C.Emerging Player Dinesh HenjanTribhuvan ArmyTop Scorer Jomoul FrancoisFriends ClubBest Goalkeeper Bishal ShresthaMachhindra F.C.Fair PlaySatdobato Youth Club
Broadcast rights Selected matches were broadcast live on Kantipur Television.
All matches were also streamed live on Eleven Sports.
Notes
References