Anjan Bista

Anjan Bista
अञ्जन विष्ट
	Bista with Nepal in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Anjan Bista
Date of birth	15 May 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Hetauda, Nepal
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Church Boys United
Number	19
Youth career
2011–2014	ANFA Academy
2016	Marbella
Senior career*
Years	Team
2015–2018	APF Club
2018–2022	Manang Marshyangdi
2021	→ Lalitpur City (loan)
2022	→ Jhapa (loan)
2022–2023	Church Boys United
2023	Mumbai Kenkre
2023–2024	Jhapa
2024	Fortis FC
2024–	Church Boys United
International career‡
2013–2014	Nepal U17
2015–2018	Nepal U20
2016–2020	Nepal U23
2014–	Nepal
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Nepal
SAFF Championship
AFC Solidarity Cup
South Asian Games
SAFF U-19 Championship
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 December 2023; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 March 2024

Anjan Bista (Nepali: अञ्जन विष्ट; born 15 May 1998) is a Nepalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Church Boys United and the Nepal national team. With 13 goals, Bista is Nepal's joint all time highest goal-scorer along with Hari Khadka and Nirajan Rayamajhi.^[3]

Club career

During the 12th edition of the Aaha Rara Gold cup, playing for the ANFA Academy Bista scored the opening goal in the 17th minute to put his team 1–0 up against Nepal Police Club in Pokhara. However Ranjan Bista scored the equalizer in the 35th minute and the Police Club went on to win on a penalty shootout.^[4]

Nepal APF

Bista joined Nepal APF for the upcoming 2015 Nepal National League. He scored his first goal for the club in the second round in a 4–1 win over Morang XI. Anjan's brother Ranjan Bista scored two goals in the same match.^[5]

Marbella United FC, Spain

On 28 March 2016, Bista scored the only goal to defeat Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie U-19 Academy 1–0.^[6] Anjan Bista showed brilliant performance during a match against ASC 09 Dortmund.^[7]

Manang Marshyangdi

In 2018, Anjan joined Manang Marshyangdi Club. In his first season, he scored five goals in the Pulsar Martyrs Memorial A Division League as the team won a record 8th league titles. He was member of the team that took part in the AFC Cup 2019 group stage.

In the 2019–20 Qatar Airways Memorial A Division League, Bista scored 6 goals in 8 appearances as the team finished third.

Church Boys United

On December 28, 2013, Church Boys United announced the signing of Nepal international Anjan Bista through there official contract. Bista signed one-year deal with newcomers.^[8]

Mumbai Kenkre

On 21 January 2023, it was announced that Bista was sent on loan for remaining matches to Indian I-League club Mumbai Kenkre,^[9] as Mumbai Kenkre FC was in verge of getting relegated.

Jhapa FC

On 26 February 2023, Jhapa FC, one of the three new teams of the franchise-based Nepal Super League football tournament, recruited winger Anjan Bista as their marquee player for the second edition of Nepal Super League.^[10]

Fortis FC

On 8 March 2024, it was told that Bista joined Bangladesh Premier League club Fortis FC.^[11] However, he was sidelined for a couple of weeks when playing for Nepal in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round. Eventually, the Bangladeshi club terminated his contract as he was set to miss most of the remaining matches of that season.^[12]

International career

U-17 career

Bista has been a regular for the Nepalese junior Gurkhas. During the 2013 SAFF U-16 Championship semi-finals Bista scored in a 5–1 win over Bangladesh.^[13] During the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship qualification Bista scored in a 2–0 victory over Bahrain, ending a six-year-long winning drought for the Nepali u-17 side.^[14] In the next game Bista scored the equalizing goal as Nepal came from 2–0 down to tie Iraq 2–2.^[15]^[16] Playing in the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship Bista started as Nepal scored a late equalizer to tie the match 1–1 against defending champions Uzbekistan.^[17] Bista was excellent in the next game against Kuwait, it was his early pressure that forced an own goal in the third minute, as well as it was Bista who was fouled in the box for the captain Bimal Magar to score the winning penalty.^[18]^[19]^[20]

U-20 career

In preparation for the 2015 SAFF U-19 Championship and the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualification campaign, Bista played in several friendlies in which he scored a hat trick against a senior Nepal Army Club earning a 4–2 victory.^[21] On the second match of the 2015 SAFF U-19 Championship, Bista converted a crucial penalty kick against Bangladesh. To which, the match was won 2:1.^[22] In the same tournament, Bista also scored a brace against Afghanistan in the semi-finals to register a 3:2 victory for Nepal sending the team into the finals.^[23] Nepal went on to win the final defeating India on penalty kicks.

Senior career

Bista made his international debut for Nepal on 31 October 2014 coming on for Sandip Rai in the 61st minute in an eventual 3–0 loss against the Philippines.^[24]^[25]

On 6 March 2015, Bista was selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) senior team (Nepal) 2-leg match against India. He was as one of the main player when Nepalese team won Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh and gold medal in SAG Games.^[26] He scored 2 goals during the Gold winning run in the 2016 SAG Games - one against Bhutan and one against Maldives in the semi-final.

Anjan has since been a prominent member of the Nepal senior team. As a member of the 2022 World Cup qualifier team. He scored 2 goals in 2–0 against Chinese Taipei in the World cup 2022 Asian qualifiers in Taipei. Bista performed well against Australia earning praise from the commentator Andy Harper and Simon Hill from Fox Sports.

Personal life

After the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship it was announced that Bista had plans to turn to singing.^[27] Soon after a video of Bista singing popular a Dashain song was released. "This is a new taste for [me]. I really enjoy singing." said Bista afterwards thanking Kaarlrekha productions.^[28]

Career statistics

Club

Season	Club	League	League		Other		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2018-19	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Martyr's Memorial A-Division League	13	5	0	0	13	5
2018-19	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Total	13	5	0	0	13	5
2019-20	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Martyr's Memorial A-Division League	13	6	0	0	13	6
2019-20	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Total	13	6	0	0	13	6
2021	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Martyr's Memorial A-Division League	13	5	0	0	9	3
2021	Manang Marshyangdi Club	Total	9	3	0	0	9	3
Career total			35	14	0	0	35	14

International goals

Scores and results list Nepal's goal tally first.^[29]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 September 2019	Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan	Chinese Taipei	1–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	10 September 2019	Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan	Chinese Taipei	2–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.	29 May 2021	Al Fayhaa Stadium, Basra, Iraq	Iraq	1–1	2–6	Friendly
4.	3 June 2021	Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait	Chinese Taipei	1–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.	2 September 2021	Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal	India	1–0	1–1	Friendly
6.	4 October 2021	National Football Stadium, Malé, Maldives	Sri Lanka	2–0	3–2	2021 SAFF Championship
7.	13 October 2021	National Football Stadium, Malé, Maldives	Bangladesh	1–1	1–1	2021 SAFF Championship
8.	27 September 2022	Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal	Bangladesh	1–0	3–1	Friendly
9.				2–0
10.				3–0
11.	16 November 2022		Pakistan	1–0	1–0	Friendly
12.	21 June 2023	Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, India	Kuwait	1–3	1–3	2023 SAFF Championship
13.	12 October 2023	Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal	Laos	1–1	1–1	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification