KATHMANDU, JULY 27
Nepali youth football team outplayed Sri Lanka 3-0 to record their second straight victory in the SAFF U-20 Championship at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India today.
After a goalless first half, skipper Ayush Ghalan, Kritish Ratna Chhanju and Managya Nakarmi scored for Nepal, who had hammered Maldives 4-0 in the opening encounter two days ago. The second win has put Nepal in strong position to make it to the final of the championship, which was played as U-18 and U-19 in previous years.
The Nepali team displayed a perfect show of attacking football in the second and head coach Meghraj KC's strategy paid off. Nepal broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when skipper Ghalan, who is a regular member in the national team as well, found the back of the nets in rebound after Sri Lanka goalkeeper Shane Banuka Croos punched a cross from Abhishek Waiba.
Chhunju doubled the tally in the 64th minute when he buried the ball into the top corner after taking a pass from skipper Ghalan. Substitute Nakarmi put the issue beyond doubt with the team's third goal six minutes before the end. Nakarmi, who replaced Sandeep Karki after the break, met a pass from Sugam Suwal and slammed home from inside the box.
Sri Lanka came close to scoring the consolation goal in the injury time but Nepal goalkeeper Ishwor Gurung foiled Muhammedhu Munsif's attempt to maintain clean sheet for the second successive match.
Earlier, Munsif did well in beating offside trap to be in one-on-one situation with Nepal goalkeeper Gurung but he ended up hitting against the post in the 23rd minute.
Nepal found the back of the nets six minute later but Ajay Chaudhary's goal was disallowed for a foul. Sugam Suwal then headed over the bar following a free kick from Ghalan in the 44th minute. Sri Lanka were unlucky for the second time in the 52nd minute when Siyhan Mohamed Sahil headed against the bar following a long throw-in from skipper Theshan Thushmika.
With their second straight victory, Nepal accumulated maximum six points to stay at the top of the five-team table. Bangladesh, who defeated hosts India 2-1 in an early kick off today, also have six points but Nepal are ahead on superior goal difference.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 28, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
