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| Kathmandu, Sunday April 13, 2003 Chaitra 30, 2059. |
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Nepal go down to Palestine
Post Report
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.
Other Story
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