Nepal go down to Palestine

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KATHMANDU, April 12 : Nepal conceded a crucial home goal to go down 1-0 to visiting Palestine in the first leg of the Olympic Qualifying football match held at the Dashrath Stadium on Saturday.

Palestine striker Roebtto CK Beshe scored the only goal of the match through a penalty in the 11th minute which ultimately decided the outcome. The second leg will be held at the same venue on Monday but it will be considered an away match after the problem of sovereignty prevented Palestine to host any international match. The winner of the group will take on Kuwait in the next round. Nepal now should beat Palestine by two goals to enter the second round of the Qualifier.

Nepal, who had never faced Palestine in any level of football till date, played superbly but lack of ace striker Surendra Tamang and Shiva Chaudhary was clearly felt at the front. Tamang, along with four other members were dramatically dropped out from the squad just an hour before the match. ANFA official cited injury concern behind pulling him out but sources close to ANFA revealed that he held invalid passport for the age bar tournament.

Nepal had the lion’s share of ball possession but a late tackle by goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa on Palestine player Beshe forced referee Chynybekov Kadyrbek to point at the spot. In his desperate effort to control the ball form going for the corner, Thapa dived towards the direction of striker brought him down ferociously. The referee didn’t hesitate to point at the spot.

Palestine team looked in total control at the period but Nepali players gave them a tough time in front of home crowd. "Nepal played very good football," admitted Palestine coach Nicola Hadwa Shahwln to The Sunday Post. "The early goal saved us but we know their strategy today and will try our best to break their plan in the second leg," added the coach, who hinted that his team would play an attacking game in the second leg. He also said that the game was a very closely contested affair.

Nepal’s golden chances to level the score came very late. Ganesh Lawati demonstrated a great loft in the 84th minute only to see lanky Palestine goalie Jorge Al Eonziez manage to connect his fingertips to direct the ball outside the net.

Midfielder Nabin Neupane squandered the most convincing chance in the injury time when he guided a Deepak Poudel cross inches outside the bar from the box to the chagrin of the home crowd. Apart from those two chances, Nepal could never create any substantial threat to the opponents though they dominated the midfield.

The visitors also produced handful of chances but a neat goalkeeping from rookie Thapa dashed their hope to add more goals to have firm command before going for the second leg. Since the second leg will be played at the same venue, Nepal have an edge despite loosing the match, according to the coach.

"I am very happy with my boys’ effort," said Krishna Thapa after the match. "A couple of players were ruled out late due to injury otherwise we should have won this match," he added.

Players in the likes of Thapa, Narayan Manandhar, Deepak Lama, Dipendra Poudel and Sagar Thapa played outstandingly in the match. Apart
from keeper Eonzlez, Abdalsalam Alswerki and Fund JQ Vera were the key players from Philistine.

ANFA commits series of blunders

In the first leg against Palestine, Nepal could only produce two vital chances in the entire match despite the superb display from midfielders. Chandra Man Tamang, Bishow Bandhu Pokhrel, Ganesh Lawati, Ratnakaji Maharjan and Bisan Gauchan, who were not named in the name lists ANFA prepared on the eve of the tournament were included in places of Surendra Tamang, Kishor Subba, Shiva Chaudhary, Kailash Dangol and Sundar Nepal. Ironically, Bishow Bandhu Pokhrel was not at the players’ box and sources close to ANFA said that he is in Sunsari. The second exclusion Tamang, former player of Friends’ Club, is without an ‘A’ division or departmental clubs at present. Coach Krishna Thapa said that the players are injured but other sources confirmed that the age of the players were above 23-year which forced ANFA to rule them out late. The second story also took turn when it was found that Tamang’s passport clearly reveals that he is reaching 23-year only after five and half months.

Kathmandu trounce Lalitpur

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KATHMANDU, April 11 : Kathmandu won the Region No 3 Under-19 Cricket Selection tournament drubbing Lalitpur by eight wickets in the final played at the Tribhuvan University cricket ground on Saturday.

Kathmandu scored convincing wins in all the matches of the tournament. Three districts around the valley competed in the tournament.

Lalitpur won the toss and elected to bat first but Bantu Bataju picked up four top-order batsmen of Lalitpur as they could manage just 45 runs in 16.5 overs. Pravin Shakya was the lone Lalitpur batsman to reach double-figure mark while other players just threw their wickets to Kathmandu bowlers.

Bataju’s four wickets came in just five overs conceding 11 runs. Fellow paceman Pramod Basnet failed to pick any wicket. Saroj Shrestha and Raj Shrestha claimed two wicket apiece while Suman Kaji Stapit came up with one.

Lalitpur opening bowlers Birendra Singh and Pravin Shakya claimed two early wickets but their total was too hard to defend as Kathmandu completed the task in 11.3 overs losing two wickets. Nirmal Poudel and Anunaya Basnet failed to reach double-figure while Paras Khadka and Monik Shrestha completed the job remaining unbeaten at 17 and 18 respectively.