During his Nepal visit two years ago, FIFA President Sepp Blatter had said, “Nepal plays good, but there is lack of Messi.” Blatter made the comment after watching the inaugural match of AFC Cup in a beautifully decorated Dasharath Stadium in the capital city. Blatter might have missed Messi, but Nepal’s poorest district Mugu hasn’t. But why did the district, which does not have even a single stadium, regard a local woman footballer as Messi? At one side is the most expensive footballer in the world – Lionel Messi, and the other is Mugu which lies at the bottom of Nepali districts in terms of human development index. So why did the entire district showed huge respect on the young footballer and heap praises on her? Why did they chant slogans like ‘Sunakali is like Messi’? How did football instill confidence on people of Mugu that they also can more forward? At a time when World Cup 2014 being staged in Brazil has gripped the country and Nepalis cheering for their best teams donning their respective jerseys, these photos might clarify the relation between the Messi of the remote Mugu and the district’s relationship with football.
