Kathmandu, April 22
Jawalakhel Youth Club ended Church Boys United's 10-match unbeaten streak with a 1-0 victory in the Martyrs Memorial A Division League, while two-time defending champions Machhindra Football Club and FC Khumaltar recorded wins here today.
After a goalless draw in the first half at the Dasharath Stadium, JYC's foreign recruit Nkoto Synous Masoabi scored the solitary goal of the match in the 66th minute as the United faced their first defeat in the 11th match in their debut season in top flight football.
Masoabi dodged as many as two defenders on his way to guiding the ball alone from his own half and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box. United goalkeeper Guillaume Yves Priso Njanga got both hands to the ball but he let it roll into the goal from between his legs.
With their seventh victory in 11 matches, JYC extended the lead to five points, while United - who made a flying start with three straight wins before playing six straight draws and won 10th round game against Royal Blue SatdobatoYouth Club - remained at the second position with 18 points, ahead of Three Star Club on better goal difference. United were the lone unbeaten side in the league before the match.
At the Chyasal Stadium, two-time defending champions Machhindra defeated 10- man Friends Club 2-1. Bhutanese forward Chencho Gyaltsen - the highest paid footballer in the league - scored first goal in his sixth match, while Devendra Tamang added another for Machhindra.
Rafique Aminu replied for Friends.
Gyaltsen, who is popularly known as Bhutanese Cristiano Ronaldo in South Asian football fraternity, found the back of the nets in the 44th minute following a cross from Nisen Subba. Tamang doubled the tally in the 63rd minute after Friends defenders failed to clear Gyaltshen's free kick.
Aminu pulled one back for Friends in the 76th minute but that turned out to be a consolation goal.
Friends were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute when Amit Tamang received red card for a harsh tackle on Abhishek Gurung but Machhindra failed to capitalise on numerical advantage. With their fourth win, Machhindra moved up to sixth with 16 points, while Friends remained at 12th on 11 points.
In an earlier kick off at the Dasharath Stadium, Pierre Jean Marie Messouke Etiegnie Oloumou scored a brace including the controversial winner as Khumaltar defeated Manang Marshyangdi Club 2-1. Oloumou put Khumaltar ahead in the 13th minute, while Koffi Timothee Koudo scored from the spot to level the scores in the 53rd minute.
MMC earned second penalty eight minutes later but Koudo shot wide this time around.
At a time when the match was heading toward the end, Oloumou netted his second goal of the match in the fifth minute of the injury time to seal the victory. But the striker seemed to be way behind the MMC defense line when he received the ball from the centre.
MMC camp protested the goal but their pleas fell into deaf ears and Khumaltar earned full three points. The win lifted Khumaltar out of the relegation zone and they are at the 11th position with 13 points, while MMC remained at seventh on 15 points.
MMC team official Shiva Lama criticized the referees for allowing the goal despite the Khumaltar player being clearly in offside position.
"Such decisions hurt and it is not acceptable," said Lama.
"We will take out the clip of the move and lodge complaint at the All Nepal Football Association," he added. Lama also asked the ANFA to bring in foreign referees to conduct the league saying the Nepali officials were not up to the mark for top flight football.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
