Born in Singapore, Laken Limbu returns with Nepal looking to pull an upset over the Lions

Nepal midfielder Laken Limbu (right, with teammate Rohan Karki) looks forward to playing against his former F-17 Academy teammate Ilhan Fandi. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Born in Singapore, Laken Limbu returns with Nepal looking to pull an upset over the Lions

SINGAPORE – He speaks Singlish, loves football, and craves laksa, chicken rice and roti prata. And on March 21, he will get the chance to play an international friendly at the National Stadium, but instead of representing his birth country, Laken Limbu will be lining up for Nepal.

The central midfielder told The Straits Times: “It is a special feeling coming back to Singapore, as this is where my story, not just as a footballer but also as a person, started.

“I feel very happy and honoured to be able to come back here, and can’t wait to see some familiar sights, and hopefully some familiar faces as well.”

The son of a Gurkha, who served the Singapore Police Force and was a pillar of support for his football career, Limbu was born in Singapore in 2002.

He attended Cedar Primary School and Serangoon Garden Secondary School, and trained at the Anza Soccer academy and F-17 Academy, before he returned to Nepal with his family after his father’s tenure ended in 2019.

At the F-17 Academy, he played alongside Marc Tan, Zikos Chua and Zamani Zamri, who would go on to feature in the Singapore Premier League. On March 21, he will go up against another former team-mate Ilhan Fandi.

He said: “I started playing football at a very young age and played mostly street soccer growing up inside the Gurkha camp (Mount Vernon Camp) where we Nepalese resided. Then, I played inter-school football which exposed me to competitive football, and what gave me an advantage was I was playing with guys older than me.

“At the academies, training was always fun yet competitive with the lads at that time as they were already representing their country at age-group level, whereas I was playing only inter-school matches. I knew I had to work extra hard to prove myself. It will be fun to play against a former team-mate and see how far we have come.”

The combative nature is exactly what Ilhan remembers Limbu for, as he looks forward to a reunion and swopping jerseys when they meet again.

The fellow 22-year-old said: “I follow what he’s been doing on Instagram, and recently he messaged me to say, ‘See you soon’.

“I’m like, ‘Oh yah, I’ll be playing against you, we must exchange jerseys’. He was a fantastic player for us at the academy and I’m excited to see him again.”

Returning to Nepal after his father’s service in Singapore ended, Limbu joined local team Jhapa FC in the third tier before moving to top-division Three Star Club in 2021. He then moved to Machhindra FC and Church Boys United where he got to play in the AFC Cup and AFC Challenge League qualifiers.

In 2024, he secured a move to India’s Delhi FC, thanks to Singapore-based agency Rookbook Sports.

At international level, he received his first cap in a 1-0 loss to the Philippines in 2023, going on to earn 13 caps and the trust of new Nepal coach Matt Ross.

The Australian said: “Laken joined us from Delhi FC a few days ago. He will be a key player for us physically and technically, and we expect big things from him.

“Technically, our players are fantastic, and they can cause teams problems. So, it’s about developing a strong defensive base where we don’t get counter-attacked, and to rely on the individual qualities of the players up front to create and finish chances for us.

“We will try to press Singapore tomorrow. That’s no secret. I’m sure they will try and press us. So we should be in for an entertaining game. I’m confident we can get a positive result against Singapore.”

As Nepal try to end their run of three losses to Singapore, Limbu is also aiming high as he looks to play in Europe or one of Asia’s top leagues one day.

He said: “My experiences have contributed to a more mature game that I developed over the years. My biggest asset is my hunger to keep learning and improving.

“Of course, there is still a long way to go for me as a player and as a person, and I can’t wait to push myself to the highest level possible.”

David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

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