POKHARA, JANUARY 20
Nepal APF Club defeated hosts Sahara Club 2-0 in the opening match of the 20th Aaha-Rara Gold Cup Football Tournament here at the Pokhara Stadium today.
Aawash Lamichhane and Pradip Lama scored in either half for the departmental team, who advanced to the quarter-finals of the prestigious knock out tournament of mofussil. APF will take on Bhutanese Youth Sports Club of USA for a place in the last four on Saturday.
Lamichhane played onetwo pass with Armand Beadown before beating a couple of defenders and slotted home in the 14th minute to put APF ahead in the match. APF doubled the tally in the 60th minute after he controlled the cross from Ravi Thing and slammed into the first bar from between two defenders leaving Sahara goalkeeper Abhishek Baral stranded.
Earlier, Peter Segun rescued Sahara with a goalline clearance to deny Pradip Lama in the sixth minute, while Bikey Tamang shot over the bar from inside the box in the 23rd minute.
Sahara had a chance to level the scores in the first half injury time after goalkeeper Kuriyama Yuya spilled Man Bahadur Tamang's free kick.
But APF defender Adama Dambia saved Mukunda Niure's goal-bound attempt with a header.
Beadown headed against the cross bar following a free kick from skipper Nabin Lama in the 53rd minute, while Sahara goalkeeper Baral punched out Pradip Lama's header on a cross from Sanish Shrestha three minutes later.
Ten minutes after hitting the woodwork, Beadown's attempt rebounded to play off the post in the 63rd minute.
On Friday, Himalayan Sherpa Club will play against Nepal Police Club. A total of 10 teams are taking part in the tournament organised by Sahara Club. The winner will be richer by one million and one thousand rupees, while the runners-up will get Rs 501,000.
The profit of the tournament will be used for Surya Bahadur KC Memorial Sahara Football Academy, which has been providing shelter, education and football training to orphans.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
