Samir Tamang
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Nijgadh, Nepal | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pokhara Thunders | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2024 | Salesh Youth Club | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2025 | Church Boys United | ||
| 2025– | Pokhara Thunders | 2 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2023– | Nepal U20 | 11 | (9) |
| 2024– | Nepal | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Samir Tamang is a Nepalese professional footballer who currently plays for Nepal Super League club Pokhara Thunders and the Nepal national team.
Club career
[edit]Born in Nijgadh, Tamang was originally a cricket player before shifting his focus to football. He initially played as a goalkeeper before a hand injury forced him to become a forward. He had not competed in any domestic league prior to his international debuts because of a lack of competitions in his region. Therefore, he competed in only district, provincial and central level selections.[1] In 2023, Tamang competed in the Aaha! Gold Cup with Salesh Youth Club. He scored two goals against Gaighat FC to advance to the semi-finals and was named Man of the Match for his performance.[2] He scored and was named the Man of the Match again as Salesh Youth Club defeated Birgunj United FC to advance to the final.[3]
In January 2024, Tamang made his Martyr's Memorial A-Division League debut after joining Church Boys United.[1] He scored his club's only goal in an Aaha! Gold Cup victory over Nepal Police which saw Church Boys United advance to the semi-final. Tamang was named Man of the Match for his performance.[4] In the next match, he again scored his team's lone tally as the club defeated Nepal Army to advance to the final. Tamang was again named Man of the Match.[5]
In February 2025, it was announced that Tamang had been signed by Pokhara Thunders of the Nepal Super League for the 2025 season.[6] He scored his first goal for the club on 3 April 2025 in a 2–3 loss to Lalitpur City.[7]
International career
[edit]As a youth, Tamang represented Nepal at the 2023 SAFF U-19 Championship and the 2024 SAFF U-20 Championship. He scored three goals and was the competition's joint top scorer in 2023.[1] He scored two more goals in the 2024 tournament, including Nepal's only goal in a defeat to Bangladesh in the final.[8][9]
In February 2024, Tamang scored two goals for the Nepal national under-23 team in a 5–1 victory over a representative team from China's Yushu Prefecture.[10][11] Later in 2024, he was the second-highest scorer in 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification with four goals, including a hat-trick against Chinese Taipei.[12]
Tamang received his first senior international call up in March 2024 for a pair of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Bahrain.[13] In preparation for qualification, Nepal played an unofficial friendly against Malaysia. Tamang scored Nepal's only goal in the eventual 1–5 defeat.[14] He made his official debut on 21 March 2024 in the first match against Bahrain, coming on as a second-half substitute.[15] The following month, he was called up again for an friendly against the England C team.[16]
International statistics
[edit]- As of match played 21 March 2024[15]
| Nepal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 |
International goals
[edit]Youth
[edit]| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
25 September 2023 | Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal |  Maldives U20 |
2–0 |
4-1 |
2023 SAFF U-19 Championship | |
2 |
4–1
| ||||||
3 |
27 September 2023 |  India U20 |
1–1 |
1-1
| |||
4 |
22 August 2024 | ANFA Complex, Lalitpur, Nepal |  Bangladesh U20 |
1–0 |
2-1 |
2024 SAFF U-20 Championship | |
5 |
28 August 2024 | India U20 |
1–3 |
1-4
| |||
6 |
21 September 2024 | Fu Jen Catholic University Stadium, New Taipei City, Taiwan |  Cambodia U20 |
1–2 |
1-4 |
2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification | |
7 |
23 September 2024 |  Chinese Taipei U20 |
1–0 |
3-1
| |||
8 |
2–0
| ||||||
9 |
3–1
| ||||||
| Last updated 7 October 2024 | |||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Nepal, Govinda Raj. "Samir Tamang: The new energy of Nepali football". Online Khabar. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Dhankuta: Sahlesh Club, Siraha Enters SFs Of 10th Gorkha Rara Gold Cup". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Sunsari: Sahalesh Youth Club Enters Final Of 9th Bhaluwa Gold Cup". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Church Boys United Enters SFs Of 23rd Aha! Rara Pokhara Gold Cup". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Church Boys to compete against Army in Itahari Gold Cup final on Saturday". Khabarhub. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Nepal Super League: Foreign players likely to be decisive". E Kantipur. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Lalitpur edges Pokhara to claim first win of NSL-3". The Rising Nepal. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Nepal's U19 Forward Samir Tamang Receives Recognition in Nijgadh". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Bangladesh wins SAFF U-20 Championship football title". Makalu Khabar. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Nepali Youths Get Past Yushu Youth Team With Ease". Hamro Khelkud. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ Samiti, Rastriya Samachar. "Nepal U-23 Team beats China's Qinghai Football Club". Nepal News. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Samir Tamang Shines with 4 Goals in AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers". Gorkhali Football. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Nepal name squad for FIFA World Cup qualifiers". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Nepal Loses To Malaysia In A Friendly Match". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ a b "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Initial squad for England C team friendly announced". All Nepal Football Association. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
External links
[edit]- Samir Tamang at National-Football-Teams.com
- Samir Tamang at Soccerway
- Samir Tamang at Global Sports Archive
- Nepal Super League profile