England C will host the Nepal national team this summer, in a friendly fixture to mark the end of a week-long ‘festival of football’ aiming to celebrate diversity.
The game will take place on Monday 25 May 2020 at the Recreation Ground, home of Aldershot Town and within an area that is home to nearly 10,000 Nepalese people.
The Nepal squad will visit England between 21-27 May, with both teams visiting primary schools within the area during the week, as well as hosting open training sessions for the local community.
Paul Fairclough's C squad is made up of players aged 23 and under who play for non-League clubs below the EFL pyramid. They are set to face Wales in their first game of the year in March.
Tickets are on sale now for the Nepal game, which will also see matchday stalls hosted by various organisations, including the Hampshire FA, Army FA, Sahara UK and the UK Nepal Friendship Society, who will provide guidance to those attending on how get involved in the game across various levels.
On Sunday 24 May, the day before the fixture, the Gurkha Cup will be held at the Recreation Ground and include participation from the Gurkha Army as well as several local teams.
After consulting over 500 people from Asian communities across the country, we launched the second phase of our Bringing Opportunities to Communities plan last year. It runs until 2021 and aims to raise awareness of pathways into football for Asian communities and to embed Asian inclusion across grassroots football.
Laurence Jones, The FA’s Head of National League Game System, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for both national associations to show that football truly is for all.
“Asian inclusion and celebrating diversity more widely are a key focus for us and, having recently met with the president and senior officials of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), and the Nepali minister for youth and sport, we share their excitement for this event. We’re looking forward to sharing this experience with the local community in Aldershot.”
All Nepal Football Association president Karma Tsering Sherpa added: "We are pleased to share this partnership with the FA in order to develop our ties for the promotion and development of football. For us, it’s a good opportunity."
Match tickets are on sale now at the price of £10 for adults and £5 for U16 and those aged over 65.
