AFC Challenge Cup: Nepal start off with win

April 3, 2006
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The Nepalese team, boosted by two goals from rookie midfielder and striker Pradeep Maharjan, grabbed the all important win over rivals Bhutan to start their campaign in the AFC Challenge Cup Sunday.

Nepal was in control from early in the game, but were unable to break the deadlock till after the interval. Basanta Thapa and Tashi Tsering were on the target, but proper finishing prevented them from opening the score. The match took an unexpected twist towards the end of the half in the 41st minute when the floodlights suddenly went out. There was some panic in the stadium with the lights coming back on only after 12 minutes. However, the game resumed and both teams played to a 0-0 tie till the interval.

After the lemon break, Shyam Thapa made a tactical change fielding Raju Tamang for Rajesh Shahi. This was a good move with Tamang creating fluent passes to support the attacking line. Finally, Shyam’s men were rewarded in the 53rd minute when Pradeep Maharjan netted with a superb header off Surendra’s corner kick. After that, it was all the Nepalese team, holding ball possession and threatening the Bhutanese zone continuously.

Pradeep Maharjan showed his utmost caliber scoring the tournament’s most superb goal so far in the 70th minute to ensure a deserved victory for Nepal. Maharjan guided the ball from the mid line where he dribbled past as many as three opponents before firing home from the edge of the box.

Shyam Thapa was happy with the win and told the media, “I am not fully satisfied, but I am happy with the team’s performance.” He further said, “The Bhutanese Coach (Khare Basnet) fielded great tactics which denied us many chances.”

Bhutanese Coach Khare Basnet praised the Nepalese side saying, “I was aware of Nepalese football talent, so we marked Basanta, Surendra and Bishan Gauchan. We knew they played good football, so we tried a defensive game at the start, but failed in the second half.”

Nepal will play its second match against Sri Lanka on 4th April. Sri Lanka defeated Brunei 1-0 in other match played at same venue. nepalnews.com bt Apr 03 06