Ananta Tamang, a Nepali center-back, has signed a short-term contract with SC East Bengal. The 24-year-old defender joins the team from Nepal’s top division side Three Star Club for their final two matches. Tamang will become the first Nepali player to play in the Indian Super League as a result of the move (ISL).
East Bengal Signing Ananta
Tamang joins the Red and Gold as an AFC quota player to fill the void left by the departure of Australian center-back Tomislav Mrcela.
“I am happy to join SC East Bengal. I look forward to helping the club in every way I can. It is a proud moment for me,” he said in a release from the club.
This season, Tamang has appeared in seven games for Three Star Club in Nepal’s top flight. Due to injuries, he was unable to play in Nepal’s two friendlies against Mauritius. The 24-year-old is likely to return to Nepal in April to play in the Nepal Super League (NSL) after finishing his short stay with the Kolkata-based side.
His Performance this Year
Last year’s SAFF Championship saw the defender play a key role in Nepal’s first-ever run to the finals. Tamang has already won 43 national team caps, including multiple age-group call-ups, even though he is only 24 years old. Tamang, along with Bimal Gharti Magar and Anjan Bista, became one of Nepal’s most wanted youths during a brief spell with Spanish club Marbella United during the club’s 2016 European tour.
The defender is a product of Nepal’s national academy and is known for his ability to win 1v1 challenges. Tamang has been a regular for the Gorkhalis since his debut in 2014 and has proven to be a valuable asset. In 2016, the 18-year-old was instrumental in Nepal’s AFC Challenge Cup victory. Similarly, the center-back was a member of Nepal’s U-23 team that won two consecutive gold medals at the South Asian Games in 2016 and 2019.
SC East Bengal, on the other hand, has two matches left in their season. On February 28, they face NorthEast United in their penultimate match before finishing the season with a match against Bengaluru FC five days later.
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