DOHA: The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Tuesday at the QFA headquarters in Al Bidda Tower.

President of NFA Karma Tsering Sherpa and Bijian Raj Sharma, General Coordinator of the Nepalese Football League Committee, met with QFA President Sheikh Hamad bin Kahlifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, Vice President Saud Abdul Aziz Al Mohannadi, Mansoor Al Ansari, Secretary General of QFA and Mushtaq Al Waeli, Executive Director, Strategy & Institutional Development, for the contract ceremony.

The latest signing is another example of QFA’s attempt to strategically develop football in all regions of Asia ad beyond. The new agreement also brings QFA and ANFA closer as they look into ways and means to develop the world’s biggest sport.

It is expected that Qatar and Nepal will have exchange programs between the two countries in various age brackets to develop youth football. Qatar will also rely on the help from Aspire Academy and Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital to beef up their exchange programs with NFA.

“I am very pleased to be in Qatar for this agreement. I would like to thank H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Football Association, the QFA Vice President and the Secretary General for this warm welcome,” Sherpa said on Tuesday.

“The signing of this cooperation agreement between the two football bodies is something that I look forward with great anticipation,” he said.

“The agreement will strengthen the cooperation in various fields related to football. We know the experience Qatar has in the field of developing the sport. Their training courses for players, officials, referees and coaches etc are hugely beneficial for the participants,” he added.

“There is no doubt that Qatar has become the leading sports center in Asia. We are proud to be working with a body like the QFA. It is a professionally run sports body that works diligently to develop the sport in Qatar and around Asia,” Sherpa said.

“I can safely say that Nepalese football will benefit hugely from this agreement,” he said.

The ANFA President said he was impressed by Qatar’s preparations being carried out to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup following his visit to the pavilion at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

“It was a very wonderful tour and I found answers to many of the questions I had before my visit. The remarkable progress made by Qatar’s towards hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is truly stunning. Qatar clearly has huge potential to bring the world football fans together for the big event,” he said.

“We have seen the models of the stadiums that are under construction right now. The venues and facilities are top-notch,” he said.

“The stadiums that Qatar are building demonstrate their will to stage a magnificent FIFA World Cup edtion,” he said.

“Qatar will create a lasting legacy by staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup” he added.