KATHMANDU, MARCH 25
The Nepal national football team played a goalless draw with 10-man Kyrgyzstan U-23 side in the Three Nations Cup match at the Dasharath Stadium today.
Nepal, playing their first match in six years on home soil, wasted more than a dozen chances with midfielder Anjan Bista coming close on at least six occasions.
The draw meant Bangladesh, who had recorded a 1-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, advanced to the final.
Nepal will now play against Bangladesh in the last league round match of the invitational tournament on Sunday. Nepal can make it to the final with a draw, while Kyrgyzstan will do so if the home side loses with two or more goal difference.
The final is on Tuesday.
Nepal made a bright start with an attempt on the goal in the fourth minute but Bista's free header went inches off the post following a free kick from Tej Tamang.
Dinesh Rajbanshi had a chance to open the scoring five minutes later but he wasted the opportunity on a corner kick from Tridev Gurung.
Ananta Tamang's header also went wide off the target on Tridev Gurung's corner in the 10th minute before Anjan Bista's low cross hit the post after taking a deflection to Kyrgyzstan defender in the 14th minute. Abhishek Rijal came close in the 29th minute, while Anjan Bista wasted another opportunity four minutes later following a cross from Ravi Paswan.
Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Priadkin Artem saved Tej Tamang's header on a corner kick from Tridev Gurung, while his counterpart Kiran Kumar Limbu saved the home team from going down in the 53rd minute.
Anjan Bista's header went inches wide on Ranjit Dhimal's free kick in the 63rd minute and it was the repeat of action moments later and the midfielder failed to utilise a cross from Dinesh Rajbanshi in the 66th minute.
Kyrgyzstan were reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute when skipper Tashiev Kamoldin got the marching orders for his second bookable offense after he brought down Abhishek Rijal. Nepal almost conceded an own goal in the 73rd minute but goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu rescued the side on a back pass from Rohit Chand.
Sujal Shrestha came close to scoring from the box in the 75th minute, while Ananta Tamang's acrobatic shot was saved by Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Artem four minutes later.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 26, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
