Coach Matt Ross’s path is quite rare, involving roles as a teacher, referee, and bus driver prior to coaching Nepal against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal’s national team — Vietnam’s opponent in Group F — appointed Matt Ross, an Australian coach with a remarkable background who previously worked as a referee, teacher, and bus driver before taking charge at the national team level.
According to the announcement from the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the contract signed on March 2nd lasts for one year, selected from over 400 candidates. All salary and bonuses are funded by ANFA, without government or corporate sponsorship. Before entering professional football, he taught and drove a school bus while pursuing his coaching certification.
Notably, most of Matt Ross’s 20-year career has been linked to women’s football. He worked at the women’s team Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) in various roles, from analyst to head coach, winning the Champions League, German Cup, and reaching the European semifinals. Later, he coached in Sweden, South Korea, and the Middle East before accepting the Nepal national team role.
During more than two decades of coaching, he only has one year of experience in men’s football, leading the youth team of Al Qadsiah (Saudi Arabia). Nevertheless, the Australian strategist believes the key lies in the spirit and passion he aims to instill in his players.
In an interview with The Guardian before heading to Vietnam, Coach Ross expressed: “The Nepal national team carries a huge responsibility. We don’t expect the country’s support; instead, we want to give something back to them. No one expects us to achieve much, but I want the players to fight with emotion and pride.”
He also candidly acknowledged reality: “We are ranked 176th in the world for a reason. But there are genuine talents in the team. They just lack the tactical foundation and mindset that a structured academy system can provide — that’s what I want to change.”
According to plans, last night (October 7th), the Nepal national team arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Thus, they have only one day of training before their opening Group F match against Vietnam on October 9th. For a coach who has been a teacher, referee, and bus driver like Matt Ross, this will be the first test on his journey to “create something extraordinary” with the team ranked 176th in the world.