KATHMANDU: With Sujal Shrestha's solo goal in the first half, Nepal lifted the AFC Solidarity Cup 2016, beating Macau in Sarawak Stadium in Kuching of Malaysia on Tuesday evening. It is Nepal's third international title this year. Nepal had won the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh and the SAFF Games men's football gold medal in India earlier this year. Nepal dominated Macau in both the halves of the final match played at waterlogged pitch this evening. In the 52nd minutes, as Nepal won a free-kick Bimal Gharti Magar floated a weighted delivery into the six-yard box where unmarked Bharat Khawas directed a free header which, however, missed the target. Nepal's standing skipper Biraj Maharjan conceded a needless free-kick in the 62nd minutes as the ball bounced awkwardly to touch his arms just outside the D-box area. As Macau player firmly struck the ball, Nepali custodian Kiran Kumar Limbu was well beaten. Ananta Tamang, however, came to rescue and preserved Nepal's lead. In the 70th minute, Nepal earned a free-kick outside the D-area after Anjan Bista was fouled from behind. Bimal Gharti Magar, on the other hand, skewed his shot into the stands. In the dying minutes of the game, Macau pressed hard for the equaliser but were unable to test the Nepali custodian, who was the hero in the penalty shootout against Laos in the semifinals on Saturday,  without any purchase in the ball. Nepal's rear guard did not panic as they firmly hold their lead to lift their third successive international title. Full video of the match

Nepal 1-0 against Macau in AFC Solidarity Cup final at HT KATHMANDU: Sujal Shrestha's header in the first half of AFC Solidarity Cup 2016 final against Macau has kept Nepal's hopes to lift third International title intact, on the waterlogged pitch at the Sarawak Stadium in Malaysia this evening. Against the run of play at the half-hour mark in the first half, Nepal's striker Bharat Khawas evaded a challenge from a Macau defender on the right hand side of the pitch before floating a weighted cross into the box where Sujal Shrestha timed his jump to perfection and firmly dispatched his header into the second bar leaving Macau's custodian Ho Man Fa puzzled. Earlier this year, Nepal had lifted the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh and SAFF Games men's football gold medal held in India. The Macau custodian remained busy throughout the first half as Khawas and Nawayug Shrestha went close to breaking the deadlock in the early stage of the play. Nepal constantly barged into the Macau territory before Anjan Bista let fly a right-footed pile driver from 35 yards only to be denied by a superb save from the opponent goalkeeper. Bikarm Lama went agonisingly close of doubling Nepal's lead in the added time of the first half as his header scooped over the bar from the six yard. Laos secured third place, defeating Brunei Darussalam 3-2 at the Sarawak Stadium on Monday evening.

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Nepal vs Macau in AFC Solidarity Cup final KATHMANDU: Nepal and Macau are locking their horns for the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia. Nepal's starting XI Rabin Shrestha Ananta Tamang Biraj Maharjan (C ) Aditya Chaudhary Bimal Gharti Magar Bikram Lama Anjan Bista Sujal Shrestha Kiran Kumar Limbu (GK) Nawayug Shrestha Bharat Khawas Macau's starting XI Ho Man Fai (GK) Lei Ka Him Lao Pak Kin Chan Man Cheang Cheng Ieong Paulo (C ) Leong Ka Hang Nicholas Mario Tarrao Lam Ka Seng Cheong Hoi San Kong Cheng Hou Pang Chi Hang READ ALSO: Nepal enter AFC Solidarity Cup final beating Laos 3-0 in tiebreaker