Nepal repeat history, win gold in SAG men's football defeating India 2-1

Nepali players pose for photograph after winning gold medal in SAG men's football defeating India 2-1 in Guwahati on Monday evening. Photo: ANFA
Nepali players pose for photograph after winning gold medal in SAG men's football defeating India 2-1 in Guwahati on Monday evening. Photo: ANFA

KATHMANDU: Nepal repeated history to win the gold medal in the South Asian Games men's football defeating India after 23 years.

Attacking midfielder Prakash Budhathoki, lethal striker Nawayug Shrestha and brilliant custodian Bikesh Kuthu led Nepal to propel to the triumph over the hosts India in their own backyard.

Nepal's head coach Raju Kaji Shakya was the captain when the Nepali team won the gold medal in the men’s football in the regional sports gala in Dhaka in 1993.

It is third gold medal for Nepal in the 12th edition of SAG. Earlier, Nepal had won one gold medal each in Wushu and Judo.

Nepal were 0-1 down after India's Halicharan Narzary scored from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. Nepal were penalised after Aditya Chaudhary brought down Indian midfielder Kumam Udanta Singh in the penalty area. Goalkeeper Kuthu had guessed the right spot, but failed to prevent the ball from going into the net.

Nepali players apparently gave too much respect to their opponents and were put under pressure in the first half. The domestic crowd acted as the 12th man for India. Nepali players seemed to be more nervous and disorganised while barricading the attacking moves from Indian side after conceding the goal.

But they succeeded in coming back to the game with Prakash Budhathoki's goal off a stunning free-kick in the 66th minute. Budhathoki, who substituted Man Bahadur Tamang in the 41st minute, added Nepal's attacking flair in the second half. Kuthu also made some brilliant reflex saves, keeping Nepal's hope to make a comeback in the game.

Nawayug Shrestha, who was marked by Indian defenders in the first half, dodged the marker to slot the ball with an agile movement and made an athletic finish into the net from Prakash Budhathoki's weighted cross from the left flank. * Unstoppable Shrestha, who had scored hat-tricks against Bhutan and Maldives, gave Nepal  a deserved lead in the 71st minute.

It was Shrestha's seventh goal in the tournament.

In the post-match press conference, India's head coach Lee Johnson admired Budhathoki's free-kick, dubbing it world class. "The free kick was world class. No keeper in the world could have stopped that," he said.

Nepal had made it to the finals defeating Maldives 4-3 in sensational semifinal match on Saturday.  Nawayug Shrestha had scored hat-trick, his second in the tournament, to rescue 10-man Nepal that were lagging 2-3 in the extra-time then. He had scored two goals in the dying moments of the crucial fixture.

(*Corrected. Earlier it was mistakenly written that Anjan Bista assisted in the goal.)

SAG men's football final: Nepal beat India 2-1 in SAG men's football final

 

Nepal lead 2-1 with Nawayug Shrestha's athletic finish

90+2': Kuthu again makes a stunning save.

90': Nepal goalie Bikesh Kuthu makes an excellent save denying a glancing header from Indian striker. Four minutes added.

Nepali supporters here singing Rato Ra Chandra Surya to cheer up Nepal.

— The-ANFA.com (@theanfacom) February 15, 2016

 

89': Nepal skipper Biraj Maharjan limps off with a muscle cramp.

81': Nepal win free-kick at a promising position just in front of the D area. Bimal Gharti Magar steps up to take the free-kick, but his left-footed strike just hit the wall. The second half remains more aggressive with attacks from both sides.

76': Bimal Gharti Magar is injured. He collided with the Indian custodian while surging alone in the Indian territory.

71': Nawayug Shrestha scores with his athletic shot.  Nepal's in-form striker Shrestha finishes the move with an emphatic finish after the ball was floated in the penalty area from the right flank.  Shrestha evaded his marker and coolly buried the ball into the net to give Nepal a deserving lead in the second half.

69': Nepal fail to catch in on the opportunity.

Nepal equalise with Prakash Budhathoki's free-kick

66': Nepal's Prakash Budathoki scores a sensational free-kick to equalise, after Anjan Bista was brought down just outside the 25 yards, after his surging forward run. He scored the spectacular goal with outside of his root foot.

63': Nepal's Heman Gurung targets the goal post, but the Indian custodian easily grabs the ball.

61': Nepal's Anjan Bista is brought down by Karanjit Singh.

58': Nepal's attacking midfielder Prakash Budathoki has a shy at goal as he beats two Indian defenders inside the penalty area before shooting straight to Indian goalie.

50': Nepal have failed to exert any real pressure on India as Nepal's in-form striker Nawayug Shrestha has been tightly marked by Indian defenders.

Nepal win a free kicks in the offensive half and have a chance to float a free kick into the Indian penalty area. They also win a subsequent corner kick in the second half.

46': The second half kicks off.

India lead 1-0 against Nepal at HT

45+3': The first half ends with India 1-0 Nepal.

In the first half, India dominated the proceeding and took the deserved lead through the penalty kick. Nepal's attacking play failed to penetrate the Indian rearguard as they nullified their moves with ease.

KATHMANDU: Nepal and India are clashing for the gold medal in the South Asian Games men's football at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium shortly.

The match will kick off at 7:15 pm NST.

Nepal's Playing XI: Bikesh Kuthu (GK), Biraj Maharjan(C), Ananta Tamang, Man Bahadur Tamang, Aditya Chaudhary,Bishal Rai, Heman Gurung, Bikram Lama, Anjan Bista, Nawayug Shrestha, Bimal Gharti Magar

Man Bahadur Tamang has been included in the squad in place of Kamal Shrestha, who was sent off the ground after receiving second yellow card in the semifinals against the Maldives on Saturday.

Nepal players warming up ahead of the title clash with India. Match starts at 7:15 PM NST pic.twitter.com/BOkoPuHkAp

— The-ANFA.com (@theanfacom) February 15, 2016

Nepal XI: Bikesh, Biraj, Ananta, Man Bahadur, Aditya, Bishal, Heman, Bikram, Anjan, Nawayug, Bimal.

— The-ANFA.com (@theanfacom) February 15, 2016

...and this is how they start. #IndianFootball#BacktheBlue#ReplicateSAFFwin#INDvNEP Spot the changes in Indian XI pic.twitter.com/YIq6urAJRc

— Indian Football Team (@AiffMedia) February 15, 2016

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