Sunsari, March 23
Church Boys United defeated Tribhuvan Army Football Club and advanced to the final of the 13th Itahari Gold Cup here at the Itahari Stadium today.
The United set the championship date with defending champions Sagarmatha Youth Club, thanks to an own goal from TAFC's Deepak Gurung. Gurung headed into his own goal while trying to put away the ball following a free kick from United's Bempa in the 22nd minute.
The A division outfit, TAFC wasted three chances in the first half and failed to utilise an opportunity afterthe break. Franklink Talla of United was named the player of the match and he received Rs 10,000.
TAFC coach Nabin Neupane rued the missed opportunities and lamented the players for losing ball possession. "We failed to keep the ball with us and we conceded the goal due to lack of coordination between defense and goalkeeper," said Neupane. "And the players also could not penetrate through the opponents' defense line," he added. Neupane also criticised refereeing. "The referees seemed to have lack of match exposure and we were denied a penalty," added Neupane.
United coach Pradip Humagain said he was satisfied with his team's overall performance.
"We had tried a couple of new players in the previous match and that experiment paid off today," he said. "I am happy that the players could coordinate well in the match," Humagain said. Unlike Neupane, Humagain praised referees saying they were capable of handling matches properly.
On Wednesday, defending champions Sagarmatha ousted another A division outfit, Machhindra FC 3-1 in the first semi-final match.
The final is slated for Saturday.
The winners of the tournament will earn one million rupees, while the runners-up will receive Rs 500,000.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
